So, That Happened

Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah started the week doing general manager stuff. He was in Mobile, Alabama for Senior Bowl practices. He was on the job. Yesterday, he was fired. 

Being a general manager in the NFL is a tough deal. In his four years as the Vikings GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the drafts didn’t load the roster with young talent. That’s a problem. As a result, the Vikings have relied heavily on free agency. The expensive veteran route is supposed to supplement a roster rather than dominate it. The Vikings have hit in free agency on his watch. Perhaps, that’s what got him the extension in the spring. In the end, I believe the disappointing drafts are what got him fired. And zero playoff wins. 

Talking heads and fans have had a riotous time criticizing the Vikings, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, for the Sam Darnold situation. They had him in 2024 and could’ve kept him 2025. Instead, the Vikings let him walk in free agency for a somewhat big deal with the Seattle Seahawks. J.J. McCarthy was selected with the 10th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft to be the team’s franchise quarterback. The Vikings had a quarterback plan and they had to see it through. They had to see what they had in a promising quarterback on a rookie contract. I whole-heartedly agreed with the plan a year ago. Despite Darnold guiding the Seahawks to next week’s Super Bowl, I still agree with the plan now. While McCarthy had an up and down first season as the Vikings starting quarterback, I love his potential. At this moment, moving forward, I’m more optimistic about the upside of a 23-year old J.J. McCarthy than a 29-year old Sam Darnold. 

Ultimately, my belief as to why Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired means little. Moving forward, Vikings ownership decided that they’ll hold off on interviewing and hiring a new general manager until after the draft. This surprised some people. The timing of this firing is later than a team would like to be making a pivot on their general manager. With the Senior Bowl a day away from being behind us, teams are well into the process of free agency and the draft. A couple of weeks of interviews and teams are fast approaching the Combine. Until a new general manager is hired, Executive Vice President-Football Operations (Cap Wizard) Rob Brzezinski will oversee the process. Many pundits and fans have speculated whether Brzezinski might be a candidate for the permanent GM job. Personally, I believe that he’s too valuable as the Cap Wizard. Between now and the draft, I see Brzezinski as a unifier, a calming presence. He’s been a supremely respected presence for the Vikings since 1999. I see the scouts and coaches running the talent evaluation show. Brzezinski will simply oversee it. He isn’t a football talent evaluator. I expect that he’ll know his lane, advise if needed, break ties if he must. With Ryan Grigson and Demetrius Washington, there are two assistant general managers in the building. The former is a “football guy.” The latter is an “analytics guy.” The Vikings also have Ryan Monnens, Chisom Opara, Sam DeLuca, Jamal Stephenson, Mike Sholiton, and a host scouts. It’s not the least bit convenient or easy but I believe that it’s being handled well. Or, as well as it can be handled with the timing. 

Vikings ownership clearly decided that things had splintered with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as the general manager. In that sense, it feels right to make a difficult decision now rather force things through a critical offseason. 

At moments like this, it’s easy to point angry fingers at the person that was fired. After all, all woes are clearly due to him. Right? I thank Kwesi for Jordan Addison, J.J. McCarthy, Dallas Turner, Will Reichard, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Donovan Jackson, and a host of undrafted free agents. Under his watch, the Vikings have been the league’s best at mining the undrafted free agents. That’s something. 

The Annual Head Coaching Churn Continues

And then there were two. The offseason started with a robust 10 teams looking for a new head coach. Over the past couple weeks, eight of those teams have found their coach. Two remain. The Las Vegas Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals. 

New York Giants: John Harbaugh

Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski

Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley

Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh

Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy

Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken

Buffalo Bills: Joe Brady

Las Vegas Raiders: ?

Arizona Cardinals: ?

I believe that all of the teams that didn’t hire Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores are idiots. Only the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers even interviewed him. That’s crazy. I’m thankful for the idiocy. While I wish that there was much more diversity among the new head coaches, I get all of the hires except the Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy. The team that has had only three coaches over the past 57 years hired a coach that I believe they’ll have to fire within four years. Maybe Art Rooney II made a fine choice on an uninspiring old coach? I have many doubts. 

Anyway, here’s a guess at the two remaining head coach vacancies.

Las Vegas Raiders: Klint Kubiak

Arizona Cardinals: Klint Kubiak

Both teams can’t hire Klint Kubiak! I have little doubt that Kubiak is going to get one of the remaining two jobs. The Raiders and Cardinals are two of the least appealing teams in the league. Raiders owner Marc Davis and Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill are two of the worst owners in the league. I feel bad for any coach that has to deal with them. There are only 32 of these jobs and even the least appealing of them are desired. Kubiak is getting one of them. Best of luck. Since he can’t get both, here’s a real guess at the remaining vacancies. 

Las Vegas Raiders: Klint Kubiak

Arizona Cardinals: Mike LaFleur

It looks like another year of snowy white coaching hires. Hopefully, Anthony Weaver and/or Ejiro Evero gets one of these jobs. 

Minnesota Vikings Coaching Churn

The annual NFL coaching churn might be highlighted by the head coaches but there’s also an annual churn of coaches within each of the 32 teams. The Minnesota Vikings entered this offseason with one big coaching question. Will defensive coordinator Brian Flores finally get a much-deserved head coach opportunity? He interviewed for the head coach vacancies of the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. Foolishly, both teams hired another coach. Before those decisions were made, Flores and the Vikings agreed to a contract extension. It was fantastic news and made even more fantastic when the Ravens and Steelers made their respective head coach mistakes. 

Brian Flores remaining in Minnesota was the team’s biggest offseason coaching question but it wasn’t the only one. Before the season even ended, safeties coach Michael Hutchings departed to the college ranks for a defensive coordinator opportunity with Cal. He’s a rising coach with a bright future. He’s ready for this opportunity. As a Cal alumnus and fan, I was thrilled with the move. As a Vikings fan, it’s a significant loss for the team. There will be an expected change on the offensive line. Chris Kuper has been coaching the offensive line since Kevin O’Connell was hired as head coach in 2022. The offensive line has struggled under Kuper’s coaching. That’s nothing new as the Vikings offensive line has struggled for more than a decade. His contract wasn’t renewed. The Vikings are also looking for a new defensive backs coach. Daronte Jones has had an interesting run with the Vikings as he coached for both Mike Zimmer and O’Connell. In between, he was the defensive coordinator at LSU. Jones recently had his responsibilities bumped to pass game coordinator. He was probably the top internal defensive coordinator candidate if Flores departed for a head coach opportunity. You can’t keep these promising coaches secret. Jones had some defensive coordinator interviews last year. He had even more this year. On Monday, he got the defensive coordinator job for the Washington Commanders. He’s from the Baltimore area and attended Morgan State. He’s going home and it’s a much-deserved opportunity. The remaining coach question for the Vikings is on defensive line. Defensive line coach Marcus Dixon became a free agent after the season. He interviewed for the defensive coordinator job with the Dallas Cowboys. That job was eventually filled by Philadelphia Eagles pass game coordinator Christian Parker. That might boost the return of Dixon. He’s been a very effective defensive line coach. Late-round and no-round players like Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Elijah Williams have all emerged under Dixon’s coaching. The Vikings defense has been a team strength under Brian Flores. Daronte Jones, Michael Hutchings, and Marcus Dixon were a significant part of that. Jones and Hutchings have already been hired elsewhere. Dixon could still return. At best, the Vikings have two giant coaching vacancies on defense. 

After securing the return of Brian Flores, finding the right offensive line coach shoots to the top of the important decisions facing the Vikings. Assistant offensive line coach Keith Carter is certainly under consideration. Prior to coming to Minnesota last offseason, Carter was the offensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans (2018-22) and the offensive line coach/run game coordinator for the New York Jets (2023-24). That’s significant experience for an assistant offensive line coach. As for outside candidates, Frank Smith probably tops my wish list. He was the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under Mike McDaniels. They ran some of the most effective and interesting run blocking schemes in the league. The Vikings could use some of that. If Carter remains with the Vikings, I like the potential of a Frank Smith-Keith Carter coaching team. Other than Smith, I wouldn’t mind if the Vikings could pry Hank Fraley from the Detroit Lions. He got his NFL coaching start with the Vikings about a decade ago. Maybe, he’d like a return. More realistically, the coaches from teams with effective run schemes like the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, pretty much any team with a coach from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree would a good place to start. 

I can keep it simple with the defensive coaches the Vikings need and might need. My top choice, actually only choice, to replace Daronte Jones in the secondary is Gerald Alexander. Most recently, he was the defensive backs coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. I first became aware of Alexander as a coach when he was Cal’s defensive backs coach from 2017-19. That three-year run started a stream of Golden Bears defensive backs into the NFL. Alexander has a connection to Brian Flores. As the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Flores “stole” Alexander from Cal in 2020. The two moved on to the Steelers in 2022 after Flores was fired by the Dolphins. As for the defensive line, I’m hoping that Marcus Dixon returns. He’s made an impact in his two years in Minnesota. If Dixon departs, I wouldn’t mind a Karl Dunbar return. He was the Vikings defensive line coach from 2006-11. Those were some terrific defensive lines. He’s been with the Steelers since 2018. The Vikings could fill the two defensive coaching needs with coaches that became available when Mike Tomlin stepped away from coaching. 

The Vikings coaching staff could be further raided by the 10 new head coaches around the league, as well as the 21 teams that didn’t need head coaches. Every year brings a coaching churn for all 32 teams. The Vikings thankfully cleared their biggest hurdle by retaining Brian Flores. Now, they have to find new position coaches. 

WTF!

Yesterday, news leaked that Bill Belichick didn’t hit the number of votes required to be a first-ballot entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One of the greatest coaches in the history of football, any sport really, didn’t do enough to satisfy, at least, 11 voters. WTF! The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 looked to be a loaded one. Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald are considered first ballot locks. Bill Belichick was supposed to be an even greater lock. The most Super Bowl wins. The most playoff wins. The third-most regular season wins. For five decades, Belichick had an unprecedented impact on the NFL. If there was ever a coaching resume for first-ballot induction, Bill Belichick had it. How did this happen? How could it happen? Few things seem real these days.

Mike Sando writes for the Athletic and is a Pro Football Hall of Fame voter. He took a swing at explaining how this idiocy might’ve happened. For the record, Sando voted for Belichick and saw his induction as a slam-dunk. First of all, Sando explained the two-year old rules the voters are supposed to follow. Coach finalist (Bill Belichick), Contributor finalist (Robert Kraft), and the three Senior finalists (Roger Craig, Ken Anderson, and L.C. Greenwood) are grouped together at this stage. The five finalists are competing for 1-3 spots. The 50 voters each pick three of the five. Between 1-3 make it to Canton. 40+ votes are needed. If three finalists hit 40, three are inducted. If the votes are distributed amongst the finalists such that no finalist hits 40 votes, the top vote-getter is the only one inducted. Those are the rules that were implemented in 2025. It was one of the reasons, the four-member 2025 Class was so small. 

Sando went on to explain some of the potential ways Bill Belichick might get fewer than 40 votes even when 40+ of the voters think he’s a Hall of Famer. Sando actually could’ve stopped here. If 40+ voters think he’s a Hall of Famer, we wouldn’t be doing this. Anyway, in Sando’s words:

Let’s say 4-5 voters who were strong advocates for specific senior players figured Belichick was going to make it regardless, so they funneled votes to competing candidates in hopes of boosting them over the 40-vote threshold.

Let’s say a few voters prioritized senior players on the thinking that Belichick will be back in the room next year, while the players on the ballot this year might disappear into the senior pool forever. 

Let’s say a few voters found Spygate/cheating disqualifying. 

Let’s say a few voters protested new rules making coaches eligible one year after retiring instead of five. 

Whatever the case, I would see this as a repudiation of the new voting rules implemented for 2025, not of Belichick or any candidate not making it. 

There will be changes to the process, I predict. 

I appreciate Mike Sando’s honesty and explanation. I also think that it’s all bullshit. All of the above examples show the voters either playing voting games or making some sort of protest. The voters are tasked with judging the best in the history of the game. Bill Belichick was one of the very best coaches football, any sport, has ever seen. Arguably, he was the best coach professional football has ever seen. Paul Brown, Vince Lombardi, and Bill Walsh might be the only other coaches in the argument. Only one won’t be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Brown was even inducted before he was done coaching. The waiting period was waived to get Lombardi in the year after his death. You only get one chance at being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Because of voter games, Belichick missed his one chance.

The Cheating?

Many of the long-time critics of Bill Belichick are apparently giddy with this ridiculous situation. Most of the critics have been critics out of jealousy. It’s common to see people jealous of those with success, especially unprecedented success. It’s true that the Patriots dominance was occasionally clouded by scandals. There were Spygates I and II. There was Deflategate. Although that last one was more on Tom Brady than Belichick. Is that going to keep Brady from being a first ballot Hall of Famer? Who knows? Anyway, the Patriots were accused and punished for videotaping opponents coaching signals during a game against the New York Jets in 2007. The Patriots were accused of videotaping something that nearly everyone in the stadium and many watching on television can see with their own eyes. Coaching signals! During a game! Former Dallas Cowboys coach and Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson has been outspoken in his support of Belichick. He said that many teams, including his, have videotaped opponents coaching signals. He even said that Howard Mudd gave him the idea. Mudd would go to work with Belichick critics Bill Polian and Tony Dungy in Indianapolis. Johnson also said that he didn’t get much from the effort. Deflategate? Come on! That’s a non-starter. It was a horseshit charge and an even worse investigation. Common sense and the scientific method tells you that you don’t start with a desired outcome and work out an investigation that meets that outcome. That’s what the NFL did. It didn’t work but the league still manufactured a crime and crafted a punishment. 

Pro Football Hall of Famer Al Davis often said that if you aren’t cheating you aren’t trying. The NFL has a long history of cheating. The NFL has shown an equally long history to forgive/forget. George Halas spent his entire career as coach and owner of the Chicago Bears working and bending the rules to his benefit. He was in the 1963 inaugural Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Curly Lambeau got the Green Bay Packers kicked out of the league for cheating during the team’s first year in the league. He was in the 1963 inaugural Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. NFL stewards Halas, Lambeau, Joe Carr, Bert Bell, Tim Mara, Art Rooney, and George Preston Marshall oversaw the banishment of blacks from their league for 15 years. All but Rooney were in the 1963 inaugural Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Rooney made it to Canton in the second Class. Marshall was such an unrepentant racist that he named his team the Redskins and kept blacks off his teams until the federal government forced a change in 1962. For 30 of his 33 years as the team’s owner, Marshall kept the Redskins lilly white. That sort of racism wasn’t enough to keep him out of that inaugural Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Who knows what prompted at least 11 voters to not vote for Bill Belichick. I’ve long had issues with some of the Hall of Famer voters. All of those issues are with the way they’ve handled the league’s history, in particular the league’s long-ago history. Some of the voters have publicly stated that they’ve shut the door on any candidates that played/coached/contributed before their lifetime. Excuse me. The Pro Football Hall of Fame honors the league’s past. All of it. The voters that can’t do that shouldn’t have a vote. Now, some of the voters are showing that they can’t handle the league’s recent history. Bill Belichick’s last Super Bowl win was just seven years ago. 

Bill Belichick is a first ballot Hall of Famer in every way imaginable except the one that actually counts. The results of the voting are supposed to be a secret until the new Hall of Famers are introduced at NFL Honors. Even the voters don’t know. That’s why all the voters that spoke out yesterday were stunned by the news that leaked. I believe that this ridiculous news was leaked yesterday so that everyone wouldn’t be stunned by it next week. The shock probably won’t wear off over the next week but now it won’t overshadow (as much) the show of NFL Honors. The news of the night might now be a bit more about the new Hall of Famers than the one that isn’t. 

Good For Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings fans and pundits are losing their minds over Sam Darnold playing in a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. It’s been 50 years since the Vikings were last in the Super Bowl. That was a time in which they were often in the big game. They went three times in four years, four times in eight years. Super Bowl IV, Super Bowl VIII, Super Bowl IX, and Super Bowl XI. All four trips ended in a loss. As a young Vikings fan, I came to expect Super Bowl trips. As an older Vikings fan, it’s been 50 years of seeing them fall short. It’s no surprise that Vikings fans and pundits are a little sensitive. Seeing Darnold in the Super Bowl with the Seahawks has them thinking about what might’ve been. 

Sam Darnold had a fine season with the Vikings in 2024. It rejuvenated a career that was teetering on the edge of the “bust” bin. Darnold likely signed a deal with the Vikings knowing that the team was targeting a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was going to get an opportunity to start but that it was probably going to be for only one season. The Vikings selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the tenth pick. The plan was to not rush McCarthy. He’d probably sit for a year behind Darnold and assume the starting job in 2025. Nice plan. It’s the sort of plan that could be a good thing for a young quarterback. It didn’t quite go as planned as McCarthy suffered a knee injury in his first preseason game. The rookie was forced to rehab the injury rather than practice. It also meant that 2024 was unquestionably Darnold’s season. Overall, he had a productive season as he guided the Vikings to an outstanding 14-3 regular season record. The biggest flaw to the season, perhaps the only flaw, was an inability to get past NFC heavyweights Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. The three regular season losses and the playoff loss were to those two teams. In the most important games of the season, Darnold was terrible. He was ineffective in the Week 18, division-clincher against the Lions. He was ineffective in the Wild Card playoff loss to the Rams. Those two games likely convinced the Vikings that they needed a quarterback that gave the team a higher ceiling. I agreed with that decision then. Even with Darnold and the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, I agree with the decision now. Teams don’t get “do-overs.” They make decisions and must live with them. It works that way for fans as well. This is J.J. McCarthy’s team. I believe in him and I believe in the direction of the Vikings. 

I’m happy for Sam Darnold. I’m not happy about the Seahawks being in the Super Bowl because I don’t like the team or their fans. If the Vikings had re-signed Darnold, they would not be in the Super Bowl. The Vikings biggest problem this season weren’t with the quarterback. Behind a wildly inconsistent offensive line, no quarterback would’ve been consistently productive for the Vikings. Darnold probably would’ve ended up like Carson Wentz (on injured reserve) or like J.J. McCarthy (in and out of the lineup due to injuries). It’s funny that I’m seeing similar storylines with my college team as I’m seeing with the Vikings. As a Cal alumnus and fan, it was tough to see Fernando Mendoza bolt for Indiana just weeks after a thrilling comeback win against Stanford. Instead of playing out his eligibility with the Golden Bears, Mendoza won the Heisman and a national championship with the Hoosiers. He’s the likely #1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. I’m happy for Mendoza. He never would’ve accomplished any of that at Cal. Sound familiar? There’s no guarantee that McCarthy develops into the franchise, Super Bowl-winning quarterback that he was drafted to be. I believe that he will but there are no guarantees. There’s no guarantee that Darnold would’ve done for the Vikings what he’s done for the Seahawks. Getting to the Super Bowl, let alone winning it, is often more about timing than talent. Darnold just happened to get a shot with a solid team during a year in which the league was wide open. Any of the 14 teams that made the playoffs this year had a shot. Normally, that isn’t the case. There’s usually only two or three teams in each conference that have a legitimate shot. Hell, if they could’ve managed only one more win, I think a healthy Vikings team could’ve beaten the Seahawks, Rams, or any of the other five NFC playoff teams. The Vikings defense dominated Darnold and the Seahawks offense when they played during the regular season. If the Vikings could’ve done anything on offense that day, a win over a punch-less Seattle that day could’ve been the one that got them in the playoffs. Then, who knows? 2025 was a rough season for the Vikings. They were still only 0.5 wins from a shot in the playoffs. 

Anyway, it’s possible to be happy for Sam Darnold and not have it reflect in any way on what the Vikings did or didn’t do last offseason. 

The Annual NFL Head Coaching Churn Continues

For some reason, the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to hire Mike McCarthy to be the team’s next head coach. Of all of the coaches that interviewed for one of the 10 head coach vacancies, I had McCarthy with Philip Rivers as the least promising. The only reason I grouped Rivers with McCarthy is because I don’t think Rivers has the required time to devote to coaching. Too damn many kids. I just don’t get the love for McCarthy. I wasn’t surprised that the Dallas Cowboys gave him a shot. Jerry Jones is a fool. The Steelers have had three head coaches since 1969. Chuck Noll (23 years), Bill Cowher (15 years), and Mike Tomlin (19 years). Noll won four Super Bowls. Cowher went to two and won one. Tomlin went to two and won one. 57 years. Three coaches. 6 Super Bowls. It’s been a remarkable run. Three coaches in 57 years. With McCarthy now holding the keys, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers see three coaches over five years. Tomlin last year. McCarthy for, at most, three years, and whoever they hire after they fire McCarthy. I just don’t get it. The best thing about the Steelers hiring McCarthy is that it probably assures that Brian Flores remains in Minnesota as the Vikings defensive coordinator. Flores deserves another head coach opportunity. In this head coach churn, he interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens hired Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. The Steelers, for mysterious reasons, hired McCarthy. Unless one of the four remaining teams with a vacancy suddenly deviates from their current coach searching course, Flores is staying in Minnesota. That’s a very good thing for Minnesota. 

New York Giants: John Harbaugh

Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski

Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley

Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh

Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy

Cleveland Browns: ?

Las Vegas Raiders: ?

Arizona Cardinals: ?

Buffalo Bills: ?

Mike McCarthy? Seriously? Art Rooney II is making coaching decisions more like his grandfather than his father. Art Rooney picked 16 head coaches. Dan Rooney picked three.

Anyway, here’s a guess at the four remaining head coach vacancies.

Cleveland Browns: Jim Schwartz

Las Vegas Raiders: Matt Nagy

Arizona Cardinals: Klint Kubiak

Buffalo Bills: Brian Daboll

Since they brought him in for an interview, I’ve paired the Browns with Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski. He’s a coach on a rapid rise and I think that he’s going to get a head coach job soon. It probably won’t be this year as he’s withdrawn his name from the consideration for the Browns job. He’s reportedly still in the running for the Bills job but a return to the Jaguars for one more year of coordinating is more likely. 

It looks like another year of snowy white coaching hires. 

Flea Flicker Conference Championship Predictions

The NFL is down to a final four teams. Before the season, I’m not sure any of these teams were expected to be one step from Super Bowl LX. Maybe the Rams. That’s why they play the regular season and have a playoff tournament. Here are guesses at the NFC and AFC Championship games.

New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos

Pick: Patriots

The last time the Patriots and Broncos played for an AFC Championship, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady were the quarterbacks. Manning won that game for the Broncos. I think Drake Maye leads the Patriots to a win in this game. 

Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks

Pick: Rams

While I think they are a fine team heading in the right direction, I don’t want to see the Seahawks in another Super Bowl. Three is enough for a fan base that finally realized they had a team around 2004. The Rams winning Super Bowl LVI and now challenging for Super Bowl LX has revealed to everyone that Matthew Stafford is a great quarterback. He was a great quarterback before he arrived in Los Angeles. It’s just that the Detroit Lions were terrible so no one knew that he was great. Or cared that he was great. I like Stafford to find a way to get the Rams past the Seahawks. 

A Couple Minnesota Vikings Mock Drafts

The 2026 NFL Draft will be held April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. There will be dozens, hundreds, thousands of Minnesota Vikings mock drafts between now and then. Many of those will be found here. After a five-game win streak to end the 2025 season, the Vikings are slated to pick 18th in the first round. For the entire draft, they currently have eight picks. A third-round Compensatory pick will be added to that total. A fifth- or sixth-rounder might also be added. 

Minnesota Vikings Draft Picks

First round

Second round

Third round

Third round (Compensatory Pick)

Fifth round (from Philadelphia Eagles for Sam Howell)

Sixth round (from Indianapolis Colts for Mekhi Blackmon)

Seventh round

Seventh round (form Houston Texans for Cam Akers)

Seventh round (from Carolina Panthers for Adam Thielen)

Nine picks. A fifth- or sixth-round Compensatory pick could bump it to 10.

At this moment, I see the following positions as the most significant needs of the Vikings.

Cornerback 

Defensive Line

Safety

Running Back depth

Receiver depth

Linebacker depth

Mock drafts between now and April will repeatedly focus on those positions. 

Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft 1

1. Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

2. Dillon Thieneman, S Oregon

3. Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska

3. Brian Parker, C, Duke

5. Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana

6. Cole Wisniewski, S, Texas Tech

7. Noah Thomas, WR, Georgia

7. Zane Durant, DL, Penn State

7. Luke Altmyer, QB, Illinois

I like the top of this draft. I especially like adding Avieon Terrell and Dillon Thieneman to the Vikings secondary. My issue with this mock draft is not addressing the defensive line until the seventh round. While I really like Emmett Johnson, defensive line might be a better target in the third round.

Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft 2

1. Caleb Banks, DL, Florida

2. D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

3. Jake Slaughter, C, Florida

3. Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State

5. Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas

6. Cole Wisniewski, S, Texas Tech

7. Eli Heidenreich, FB, Navy

7. Lake McRee, TE, USC

7. Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota St.

I addressed defensive line in the first round this time. I prefer corner with that pick but Caleb Banks would be an outstanding addition to the Vikings defensive line. D’Angelo Ponds is probably my favorite corner in this draft. The only problem with Ponds, and the only reason he’s not a projected top-10 pick, is his 5’9” height. The Vikings need an outside corner. He has the skills to play there. His height is the only question. The difference between 5’9” and 5’11” is only 2 inches. It might as well be a foot to NFL talent evaluators. This mock draft is really growing on me. It has a Navy fullback. 

Until the next one. 

Annual Head Coach Churn Continues

The annual head coach churn continues, five of the 10 teams with a head coach vacancy have now found their coach. The Baltimore Ravens announced former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as their new head coach. It follows the Ravens pattern of hiring rising coordinators. In 1999, they hired Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Brian Billick. He led the Ravens to a Super Bowl win. In 2008, the Ravens hired Philadelphia Eagles special teams coordinator. He led the Ravens to a Super Bowl win. Now’s Jesse Minter’s turn. It’s a return to Baltimore as he joined the Ravens in 2017 as a defensive assistant. In 2019, he was promoted to assistant defensive backs coach. He finished his time on Harbaugh’s staff in 2020 as the defensive backs coach. 

Unless another team shocks the league with a late firing, half of the teams in the annual head coaching churn have found their coach.

New York Giants: John Harbaugh

Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski

Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley

Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh

Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter

Pittsburgh Steelers: ?

Cleveland Browns: ?

Las Vegas Raiders: ?

Arizona Cardinals: ?

Buffalo Bills: ?

Here are some guesses at the hires for the remaining vacancies:

Pittsburgh Steelers: Chris Shula

Cleveland Browns: Grant Udinski

Las Vegas Raiders: Klint Kubiak

Arizona Cardinals: Matt Nagy

Buffalo Bills: Brian Daboll

Current Interview Requests for the remaining vacancies:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ejiro Evero - Panthers DC

Brian Flores - Vikings DC

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Klay Kubiak - 49ers OC

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Nate Scheelhaase - Rams passing game coordinator 

Chris Shula - Rams DC

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Anthony Weaver is the only candidate to have a second interview scheduled. Chris Shula probably joins him after the Rams play in the NFC Championship game. 

Cleveland Browns 

Todd Monken - Ravens OC

Aden Durde - Seahawks DC

Dan Pitcher - Bengals OC

Tommy Rees - Browns OC

Jim Schwartz - Browns DC

Mike McDaniel - former Dolphins head coach

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Nate Scheelhasse - Rams passing game coordinator

Grant Udinski - Jaguars OC

It appears the finalists for the Browns job are Todd Monken, Nate Scheelhasse, Jim Schwartz, and Grant Udinski. 

Las Vegas Raiders

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Klay Kubiak - 49ers OC

Davis Webb - Broncos QB coach

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Nate Scheelhasse - Rams passing game coordinator

Joe Brady - Buffalo Bills OC

Ejiro Evero - Carolina Panthers DC

Mike LaFleur - Los Angeles Rams OC

Mike McDaniel - former Miami Dolphins head coach

Chris Shula - Los Angeles Rams DC

Kevin Stefanski - former Cleveland Browns head coach

The Raiders interviewed both Kubiaks. I’m guessing that Klint is closer to a head coach opportunity than Klay. At this point, Ejiro Evero is the only candidate to get a second interview. I’m guessing that playoff commitments are keeping Klint Kubiak, Chris Shula, Mike LaFleur from that second interview. 

Arizona Cardinals

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Thomas Brown - Patriots passing game coordinator 

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Raheem Morris - former Falcons head coach

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Arthur Smith - Steelers OC

Anthony Campanile - Jaguars DC

Joe Brady - Bills OC

Anthony Campanile is the only candidate with a second interview scheduled. 

Buffalo Bills

Lou Anarumo - Colts DC

Joe Brady - Bills OC

Brain Daboll - former Giants head coach

Mike McDaniel - former Dolphins head coach

Anthony Lynn - Commanders run game coordinator

Grant Udinski - Jaguars OC

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

This just feels like it’s heading to Brian Daboll. 

He’s Back*

The Minnesota Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores have agreed on a new contract. Despite repeated attempts over the past year by the Vikings at an extension, the three-year contract Flores signed in 2023 expired last week. Each offseason since has been a wait-and-see as to whether another team would hire him as their next head coach. Through two weeks, this offseason has been no different. Flores is deserving of a head coach opportunity. Selfishly, I hope that teams continue being stupid. 

In a statement released by the team, head coach Kevin O’Connell had this to say about his defensive coordinator:

"Brian has a unique ability to connect with players, understand their skill sets, and put them in positions to maximize their impact on the field. The identity of our defense is a reflection of his leadership and preparation. On a personal level, I've really valued the relationship we've built over the last three years, and that shared trust, alignment and high standard will continue to be critical to our success."

Brian Flores has been an outstanding defensive coordinator for the Vikings. He even had positive results that first season in 2023 with a serious talent void. He’s overseen a rebuild and crafted a defense that consistently wrecks the plans of opposing offenses. Again, Flores has earned a head coach opportunity. A robust 10 teams started this offseason looking for a new head coach. Only two of those teams have brought him in for an interview: the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. His only other interview this offseason was with the Washington Commanders for their defensive coordinator position. That was troubling and puzzling for many Vikings fans and beat writers. It’s why there was such relief with yesterday’s news that Flores was signing a new contract with the Vikings. 

Flores is Back*

However, Flores could still get one of the available head coach jobs. Initially, there were 10 head coach vacancies. Four have been filled. Two of the remaining six vacancies are the Steelers and Ravens. Flores might still be in the mix for each. Despite agreeing to the new deal, Flores could still leave for a head coach opportunity. 

Perhaps I’m just being optimistic but I don’t think Flores agrees to this new contract if he really felt like he had a shot at one of the available jobs. After a few years of wading through the league’s annual head coach churn, he’s probably gotten use to being shunned. Teams have essentially been “blackballing” Flores since he was fired by the Miami Dolphins and filed a lawsuit against the NFL as well as the New York Giants, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos for racist hiring practices. The legal proceedings surrounding the lawsuit have been bouncing around the courts since 2022. It’s must be tough for many of the owners to hire a coach that’s suing the league and three of their rich friends. Criticism from Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagavailoa over his style of coaching probably didn’t help things. Getting one of the league’s 32 head coach positions is always a challenging task in the best of circumstances. Since 2022, Flores’ circumstances haven’t been remotely close to the best. It’s an unfortunate situation for an outstanding football coach. Until a team finally pulls their head from their posterior, it appears Flores remains in Minnesota. That’s a very good thing for the Vikings. 

New Minnesota Vikings Coaches?

Brian Flores deserves another shot at being a head coach of a team. As a Minnesota Vikings fan, I don’t want to see him get one. If I had my way, Flores would be the Vikings defensive coordinator for as long as he’s able to coach. It’s selfish but Flores coordinating the Vikings defense is so comforting. 

Looking at things realistically rather than selfishly, I believe that Brian Flores will be the Vikings defensive coordinator for at least another season. With a robust 10 head coach vacancies, it’s insane that he’s only had two interviews. The first was with the Baltimore Ravens. The second was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those are two of the league’s most stable franchises. The Ravens parted ways with Jim Harbaugh after 18 years of sustained success and a Super Bowl title. Mike Tomlin stepped away from the Steelers after 19 years of sustained success and a Super Bowl title. My hunch is that each team is going to choose a coach that fits the mold of their previous successful choices. The Ravens won a Super Bowl with a rising first-time head coach in Brian Billick. They repeated that success with Harbaugh. The Steelers have been making strong head coach choices since 1969. It’s a ridiculous run. In 1969, the Steelers hired a rising first-time head coach in Chuck Noll. 4 Super Bowl titles. He held the job for 23 years. In 1992, the Steelers hired rising first-time head coach Bill Cowher. 2 Super Bowl appearances, 1 win. He held the job for 15 years. In 2007, the Steelers hired rising first-time head coach Mike Tomlin. 2 Super Bowl appearances, 1 win. He held the job for 19 years. That successful 57-year run with only three head coaches is truly ridiculous. It can be considered a strong move to stick with a successful process. For that reason, I’m of the opinion that the Ravens and Steelers will each go with a rising first-time head coach. I have the Ravens hiring Joe Brady. I have the Steelers hiring Chris Shula. Unless new entrant Buffalo Bills in the annual head coach churn bring him in for an interview, I believe that Flores returns to the Vikings. 

While Brian Flores staying in Minnesota is a wonderful thing it will probably come with a shake-up of the defensive coaching staff. Pass game coordinator Daronte Jones is getting significant attention for available defensive coordinator jobs. He’s interviewed or has had interview requests with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New York Jets, and Green Bay Packers. He’s also the top internal candidate for the Vikings if Flores left for a head coach job. He’s going to be a defensive coordinator next season. He’s earned it and he’s ready for it. If it’s not in Minnesota, that opportunity is going to be somewhere else. The Vikings have already lost rising safeties coach Michael Hutchings. He went back to college as the defensive coordinator at Cal. There could be a coaching void in the Vikings secondary. I have a candidate for that role. He’s also familiar with Flores. Gerald Alexander. I became aware of his coaching talents when he coached Cal’s secondary from 2017-19. That three-year stretch was the start of a stream of Golden Bear defensive backs into the NFL. He left Cal in 2020 for the defensive back job with the Miami Dolphins under Flores. Since 2022, Alexander has been with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, and a return to the Steelers last season. Not only did he work with Flores in Miami, he also moved to Pittsburgh with him in 2022. I’ve liked Gerald Alexander as a Vikings coach since he left Cal for the NFL. He’s terrific defensive back coach. And Flores is very familiar with him.

The Vikings also have a significant vacancy on offense. It’s been said by a few coaches that the most important hire a head coach can make is the offensive line coach. Chris Kuper has been coaching the Vikings offensive line since Kevin O’Connell was hired in 2022. It hasn’t been a very efficient group. O’Connell must get his second attempt at an offensive line coach right. I have no idea about the rising offensive line coaches around the league. I do know of one accomplished coach that’s currently available. Dwayne Ledford. He’s been coaching the offensive line with the Atlanta Falcons since 2021. He coached at the college level from 2008-2020. Over his five years with the Falcons, he’s established himself as one of the best offensive line coaches in the league. The Vikings desperately need one of the best offensive line coaches in the league. 

If the Vikings can keep Brian Flores, hire Gerald Alexander, and Dwayne Ledford, it would be an outstanding start to the offseason. 

Head Coach Churn Continues

On the day the Buffalo Bills joined the teams looking for a new head coach, two of those teams found their new head coach. The Bills stunned many when they fired Sean McDermott. It can be a handicap to join the process a couple weeks after the other teams. Perhaps the Bills did so with a coach in mind. Brian Daboll? Who knows? This year’s version of the annual head coach churn includes 10 teams. There was a time when it looked like this could be a light year. That didn’t last long as 10 is a hefty number. 

The Buffalo Bills are now looking for a new head coach. As that happened, the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans found their new head coach. The Dolphins hired former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. The Titans hired former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. There’s a lightly held belief that teams often hire the opposite of the coach that was fired. That’s actually the case with these two teams. The Dolphins replaced offensive-minded Mike McDaniel with defensive-minded Hafley. The Titans replaced offensive-minded Brian Callahan with defensive-minded Saleh. I saw a rumor that McDaniel could be Saleh’s offensive coordinator. 

Two weeks into the offseason and 40% of the 10 head coach vacancies have been filled.

Head Coach Churn

New York Giants

Hired: John Harbaugh

Fired: Brian Daboll

Atlanta Falcons

Hired: Kevin Stefanski

Fired: Raheem Morris

Miami Dolphins

Hired: Jeff Hafley

Fired: Mike McDaniel

Tennessee Titans

Hired: Robert Saleh

Fired: Brian Callahan

Arizona Cardinals

Fired: Jonathan Gannon

Baltimore Ravens

Fired: John Harbaugh

Cleveland Browns

Fired: Kevin Stefanski

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired: Pete Carroll

Pittsburgh Steelers 

Stepped Away: Mike Tomlin

Buffalo Bills

Fired: Sean McDermott

Here are some guesses at the head coach hires of the six teams still looking.

Arizona Cardinals: Klint Kubiak

Baltimore Ravens: Joe Brady

Cleveland Browns: Grant Udinski

Las Vegas Raiders: Matt Nagy

Pittsburgh Steelers: Anthony Weaver

Buffalo Bills: Brian Daboll

It’s probably a bit early for the 30-year old Grant Udinski. He’s been a non-play calling offensive coordinator for a single season. Just like when the Pittsburgh Steelers hired a too-young Mike Tomlin in 2006, I can see Udinski wowing the Cleveland Browns decision-makers. He’s apparently impressed enough for a second interview. Placing Anthony Weaver with the Pittsburgh Steelers might be as much about keeping Brian Flores in Minnesota. Still, Anthony Weaver feels a lot like the last three head coach decisions of the Steelers. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin were young, on-the-rise defensive coaches when the Steelers hired them. Much like Weaver. I can see it. 

The NFL’s annual head coach churn continues. 

And Then There Was 10

Just when we were getting comfortable with a robust nine head coach vacancies, one more opened. After Saturday’s stunning loss to the Denver Broncos in the Divisional playoffs, the decision-makers of the Buffalo Bills decided that Sean McDermott is done. In his nine years as the head coach, McDermott guided the Bills to eight playoff appearances. This year made it six consecutive years that the Bills won at least one playoff game. In 2022 and 2024, their playoff run ended in the AFC Championship game. The only thing that McDermott didn’t accomplish as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills was make it to the Super Bowl. And, of course, win one. When it comes down to it, NFL head coaching success is really only measured by titles. Josh Allen has been one of the league’s best quarterbacks for years. If a coach can’t win the ultimate prize with one of the best quarterbacks, maybe it’s time to find a coach that can. It appears that’s the thinking of the Bills decision-makers. There will now be 10 teams with a new head coach in 2026. 

While the annual head coach churn reached 10 teams, there are presently only eight vacancies. The New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons found their new head coach. Well, each team’s new head coach is actually an old head coach. 

Head Coach Vacancies

New York Giants

Hired: John Harbaugh

Fired: Brian Daboll

Atlanta Falcons

Hired: Kevin Stefanski

Fired: Raheem Morris

Tennessee Titans

Fired: Brian Callahan

Arizona Cardinals

Fired: Jonathan Gannon

Baltimore Ravens

Fired: John Harbaugh

Cleveland Browns

Fired: Kevin Stefanski

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired: Pete Carroll

Miami Dolphins

Fired: Mike McDaniel

Pittsburgh Steelers 

Stepped Away: Mike Tomlin

Buffalo Bills

Fired: Sean McDermott

In just over a week, John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski experienced a firing and a hiring. Mike McDaniel has had a few head coach interviews. Even though he never reached the ultimate game, Sean McDermott had a very successful nine-year run in Buffalo. He’s joining the churn cycle late but he could get some interest from teams looking for a head coach. Maybe Harbaugh and Stefanski won’t be the only head coaches in new places next year. 

Some of the eight teams looking for a new head coach are reaching the finalist stage of their search. There could be more hires this week. 

Cal’s Coaches

Cal hired former Cal high-effort defensive lineman Tosh Lupoi  as their new head coach just over a month ago. He’s spent the time between then and now coaching the defense of the Oregon Ducks, recruiting for the Golden Bears, and putting together his first coaching staff. It’s been a busy month. No real evidence but I think he likes being busy. As a Cal fan, student, and alumnus since the mid 1970s, I can’t recall greater excitement over a new head coach. Hiring Keith Gilbertson away from Washington in 1992 was a strong move but never really brought anything near this sort of excitement. The most successful Cal coaches of my time were Bruce Snyder and Jeff Tedford. Those hires weren’t door-busters. Lupoi has been. Is it just because he’s a former Golden Bears player? Maybe. I don’t recall this level of excitement when Joe Kapp was hired. He was the last quarterback to take Cal to the Rose Bowl. That’s significant. He was the Cal coach when I was a student. That’s even more significant. In my life with Cal, the coaching thread has been Mike White to Roger Theder to Kapp to Snyder to Gilbertson to Steve Mariucci to Tom Holmoe to Tedford to Sonny Dykes to Justin Wilcox. 10 coaches. Cal football isn’t like Cal Rugby, Cal Swimming, Cal Water Polo, etc. Cal is strong in a lot of things. Since the early 1920s, football hasn’t been one of those things. Excitement around Cal football is a fleeting thing. There’s excitement around Cal football now. That’s a very good thing and it’s due to the return of Tosh Lupoi to Berkeley. And he’s brought some Bears with him. Here’s a look at Cal’s new football coaches. 

Cal’s Coaches

Head Coach: Tosh Lupoi

Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Coach

Nick Rolovich

Offensive Coordinator

Jordan Somerville

Offensive Pass Game Coordinator

Pat McCann

Assistant Quarterbacks Coach

Jeff McDaniels

Running Backs Coach/Recruiting Coordinator

Keith Bhonapha

Receivers Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator

Ike Hilliard

Assistant Receivers Coach

Geoff McArthur

Tight Ends Coach

Steve Haunga

Assistant Tight Ends Coach

Mike Saffell

Offensive Line Coach

Famika Anae

Defensive Coordinator

Michael Hutchings

Assistant Defensive Coordinator

Ryan Barry

Defensive Pass Game Coordinator

Keith Heyward

Defensive Line/Pass Rush Specialist

Darrion Daniels

Assistant Defensive Line

Eddy McGilvra

Assistant Edge Coach

Lorenzo Alexander

Inside Linebackers Coach

Bob Gregory

Assistant Inside Linebackers

Sione Ta’Ufo’Ou

Defensive Backs/Co-Defensive Coordinator 

Da’Von Brown

Safeties Coach

Connor Boyd

Special Teams Coordinator 

Zach Tinker

It’s an interesting group. One of the interesting aspects of the group is the number of former Golden Bears players. Geoff McArthur and Lorenzo Alexander were teammates of Tosh Lupoi. Bob Gregory was Cal’s defensive coordinator. Mike Saffell played for Cal more recently. The cool thing about Lupoi, McArthur, and Alexander returning to Berkeley is that the trio is among my favorite Cal football players. I’m thrilled with their return. I don’t think I’m alone.

Michael Hutchings is also of personal interest. He left the Minnesota Vikings for the defensive coordinator opportunity with Cal. He’s a coach on the rise. As a Vikings fan, I hated to see him go. As a Cal fan, I love the hire. At 30, he has a lot of coaching in front of him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets head coach interest in a couple years. That would mean that he’s a success at Cal.

Ike Hilliard is of particular interest because of the playing career that he had. Keith Bhonapha is an interest for the running backs he’s coached. 

Welcome to Berkeley for most. Welcome back for the rest. 

Flea Flicker Divisional Round Predictions

It’s the Divisional Round and four teams remain. Here are some guesses at the games. 

Buffalo Bills @ Denver Broncos

Pick: Bills

The sooner Sean Payton is out of the playoffs the better. He and Aaron Rodgers run 1-2 or 2-1 as the most annoying people in football.

San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks

Pick: 49ers

The 49ers remarkable run continues.

Houston Texans @ New England Patriots

Pick: Texans

The Patriots remarkable run ends. 

Los Angeles Rams @ Chicago Bears

Pick: Rams

Caleb Williams runs out of miracles. Depending on miracles is never a sustainable way to play. 

NFL Head Coach And General Manager Churn

This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers joined eight teams looking for a new head coach. Mike Tomlin stepped away after 19 years of sustained winning. He started that long run with a bang as he won a Super Bowl title in his second year as head coach. After that, the Steelers were a playoff staple for 17 years. Now, nine teams are looking for a head coach. 

Head Coach Vacancies

New York Giants

Fired: Brian Dabol

Tennessee Titans

Fired: Brian Callahan

Arizona Cardinals

Fired: Jonathan Gannon

Atlanta Falcons 

Fired: Raheem Morris

Baltimore Ravens

Fired: John Harbaugh

Cleveland Browns

Fired: Kevin Stefanski

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired: Pete Carroll

Miami Dolphins

Fired: Mike McDaniel

Pittsburgh Steelers 

Stepped Away: Mike Tomlin

Unless something wild happens, there’s really only eight head coach vacancies. Numerous reports from numerous sources have John Harbaugh and the New York Giants uniting. It’s surprising that there hasn’t been an “official” announcement as those reports have been flowing freely for over 24 hours. 

The cycle is fairly light when it comes to the annual general manager churn. When the season ended, only two teams were looking for a new general manager.

General Manager Vacancies

Atlanta Falcons

Fired: Terry Fontenot

Miami Dolphins

Fired: Chris Grier

The Miami Dolphins acted fast as they hired Green Packers Vice President of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan before the first week of the offseason was complete. 

The Atlanta Falcons were perhaps lagging behind the pace of the Dolphins in their pursuit of a new general manager because of other front office business. Last week, the Falcons hired former quarterback Matt Ryan as their new President of Football. Who knows what responsibilities of that job will be? One thing that’s certain is that he’ll have a role in selecting a new general manager and head coach. 

Current Interview Requests:

Head Coach

New York Giants

Hired: John Harbaugh

I hesitate putting this one as finalized as it hasn’t been finalized. I remember a day when Josh McDaniels walked away from a supposedly done deal with the Indianapolis Colts. It was such a done deal that he’d even hired an assistant coach. Despite that, I can’t see Harbaugh pulling a McDaniels. 

Tennessee Titans

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Steve Spagnuoulo - Chiefs DC

Lou Anarumo - Colts DC

Raheem Morris - former Falcons head coach

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Jason Garrett - former Cowboys head coach

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Arthur Smith - Steelers OC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Kliff Kingsbury - former Commanders OC

Mike McCarthy - former Cowboys head coach

Mike McCoy - Titans interim head coach

Mike McDaniel - former Dolphins head coach

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Chris Shula - Rams DC

Brian Daboll - former Giants head coach

Jonathan Gannon - former Cardinals head coach

John Harbaugh - former Ravens head coach

Arizona Cardinals

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Thomas Brown - Patriots passing game coordinator 

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Raheem Morris - former Falcons head coach

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Thomas Brown - Patriots passing game coordinator

Atlanta Falcons

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Aden Durde - Seahawks DC

Ejiro Evero - Falcons DC

John Harbaugh - former Ravens head coach

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Baltimore Ravens

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Davis Webb - Broncos QB coach

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Brian Flores - Vikings DC

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Kliff Kingsbury - former Commanders OC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Joe Brady - Bills OC

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Mike McDaniel - former Dolphins head coach

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Jim Schwartz - Browns DC

Cleveland Browns 

Todd Monken - Ravens OC

Aden Durde - Seahawks DC

Dan Pitcher - Bengals OC

Tommy Rees - Browns OC

Jim Schwartz - Browns DC

Mike McDaniel - former Dolphins head coach

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Nate Scheelhasse - Rams passing game coordinator

Grant Udinski - Jaguars OC

Las Vegas Raiders

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Davis Webb - Broncos QB coach

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Nate Scheelhasse - Rams passing game coordinator

Miami Dolphins

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Chris Shula - Rams DC

Anthony Campanile - Jaguars DC

Patrick Graham - Raiders DC

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Kelvin Sheppard - Lions DC

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

For merely sentimental reasons, it’d be pretty cool to see Don Shula’s grandson coaching the Dolphins. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ejiro Evero - Panthers DC

Brian Flores - Vikings DC

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Klay Kubiak - 49ers OC

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Nate Scheelhaase - Rams passing game coordinator 

Chris Shula - Rams DC

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

General Manager

Atlanta Falcons

Ian Cunningham - Bears assistant GM

Josh Williams - 49ers director of scouting football

Miami Dolphins

Hired: Jon-Eric Sullivan - Packers VP of Player Personnel

Throwback Thursday: The Summer of ‘36

This Flicker was originally posted on March 21, 2013. And a time or two since. 


Sid Gillman, Paul Brown, and Woody Hayes are three of the most influential football coaches in the history of the game. All three got their football coaching start in Ohio. All three lived together in the summer of 1936. Paul Brown had established himself as a very successful coach at Massillon High School. Sid Gillman had just started his coaching career at Dennison University. Woody Hayes hadn't settled on coaching just yet. He had enrolled in the graduate school of education at Ohio St. He had plans to become a principal or school superintendent. That summer might have gone a long way in steering him toward football. As they worked and studied, all three were housed temporarily in the Sigma Chi fraternity house on the Ohio St. campus. All would impact each other and the game of football.

Gillman and Brown had come to Ohio St. that  summer to learn from innovative Buckeyes coach Francis Schmidt. They learned from Schmidt while Hayes took his education classes. In the evening, the three would come together at the fraternity and talk football. Sometimes they would argue. Sometimes they would "steal" each other's ideas. For Hayes it was the equivalent of a football laboratory. Much of his coaching philosophy can be traced back to those evenings at Ohio St. If nothing else, Hayes dropped the education path and picked up the football path.

Many consider Sid Gillman the "father of the passing game." His innovations changed offensive football. He was the first to make significant use of game film. Paul Brown revolutionized the position of head coach. His organization, testing, and use of assistant coaches changed the game. He certainly changed the structure of coaching in the NFL. Hayes, while not the innovator of Gillman and Brown, was one of college football’s greatest coaches.

Ara Parseghian had some decent success as a football coach. He also had perhaps the best perspective on the three housemates. He played for Gillman at Miami University, played for Brown at Great Lakes Naval Training Center during World War II and with the Cleveland Browns, and coached with Hayes at Miami. He saw the three like this:

"Paul Brown was a constant organizer with a terrific ability to place the personnel, motivate the personnel, and innovate. Sid was so passionate about the game, and he was still an innovative guy. And Woody was a people person. He was a great recruiter and he could talk football stuff with anybody. I wouldn't rate him up with Brown and Sid, but he got things done with his ability to deal with people....I was the beneficiary of playing or coaching with all three of them. You talk about doing post-graduate doctoral work."

Despite spending that summer of football together in '36, the coaches didn't get along too well. More accurately, Brown and Hayes didn't get along with Gillman. With his intense focus on football and his "win at all cost" ways, Gillman pissed off a lot of people throughout his coaching career. When Gillman and Brown later faced each other as professional coaches, the games had extra meaning. They did not get along. Their families did not get along. Unfortunately, it would never change. Gillman and Hayes would become coaching rivals in the college game. Recruiting rivals too. Gillman at Cincinnati and Hayes at Miami, and later at Ohio St. Many years after the football and recruiting wars, Gillman and Hayes would make amends. They just happened to run into each other and Hayes asked his past rival to explain the Gillman passing offense. Eight hours later they left as something closer to friends, certainly no longer enemies. Hayes said later of their talk, "You know, I still don't know what the hell he was talking about."

I love hearing about the intersecting paths of influential football coaches. Most of these intersections aren't as fleeting as three coaches living together for a short while during a summer long ago. Most of these intersections involve working together for a year or more. Seeing as Brown, Gillman, and Hayes all got their coaching starts in Ohio, it shouldn't have been too much of surprise that their paths crossed. I still find it fascinating that this summer spent living together so early in their respective careers might have been the launching point for all that would come. I grew up hearing about those three coaching giants. As exciting as it was to hear of this time that they spent together it was as disappointing to learn that their continued relationships weren't exactly peachy. At least Gillman and Hayes made amends. Gillman and Brown never really tried. It seems that Paul Brown, Sid Gillman, and Woody Hayes got along well enough to live together and talk football. For a brief time in the summer of '36 the future of football was greatly impacted at a fraternity house on the Ohio St. campus.

And Then There Was Nine

About a month ago, I thought that this might be a light year in the annual coaching churn. It looked like there might be as few as four or five head coach vacancies. Nope. With yesterday’s news that Mike Tomlin was stepping away from the Pittsburgh Steelers, there are now nine head coach vacancies. That’s a lot. At least it’s a lot more than a saw coming. We’re one unhappy owner from reaching the recent high mark of 10 head coach vacancies in 2022. 

The Vacancies:

New York Giants

Fired: Brian Dabol

Tennessee Titans

Fired: Brian Callahan

Arizona Cardinals

Fired: Jonathan Gannon

Atlanta Falcons 

Fired: Raheem Morris

Baltimore Ravens

Fired: John Harbaugh

Cleveland Browns

Fired: Kevin Stefanski

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired: Pete Carroll

Miami Dolphins

Fired: Mike McDaniel

Pittsburgh Steelers

Stepped Down: Mike Tomlin

Seeing league staples John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin outside the head coach ranks doesn’t feel right. Harbaugh might not be on the outside for long. Tomlin will probably take a much-deserved break. I wouldn’t be surprised if he follows the Steelers coach he replaced, Bill Cowher, and makes it a permanent break. Tomlin is only 53. That’s five years younger than Mike Zimmer was when he was hired to coach the Minnesota Vikings in 2014. Cowher was only 49 when he stepped away from coaching. Permanently walking away a year removed from a Super Bowl win was probably a much easier thing for Cowher. Tomlin is 18 years removed from his one big win. And he has a big loss in between then and now. 

The Steelers have a fascinating head coach history. From 1933-68, the team had 16 head coaches. Pittsburgh was consistently one of the league’s worst teams. Everything changed in 1969. Since 1969, the Steelers have employed three head coaches. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin. That stability reflects success on the field. Each of the three head coaches won a Super Bowl. Noll won four (four in a six-year period). Cowher and Tomlin won one each. The remarkable success of those three coaches is the reason for the stability. It’s the sort of stability that might make the Steelers head coach job the most desirable of the nine vacancies.

Here’s a ranking of the most attractive head coach vacancies.

9. Miami Dolphins

8. Cleveland Browns

7. Las Vegas Raiders

6. Tennessee Titans

5. Arizona Cardinals

4. Atlanta Falcons

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

2. New York Giants

1. Baltimore Ravens

There are only 32 NFL head coach jobs. It’s a small fraternity and that makes every job attractive. That being said, there’s little else attractive about working for the owners of the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals. Before you even get to important details like roster, draft position, cap situation, etc., the owners of those teams make those jobs a challenge before a coach even gets to football work. The top four are easily the most attractive of the this year’s cycle. The Steelers job has only come open three times since 1969. The Ravens haven’t needed a new head coach in 18 years. With the impatience of today’s NFL owners, that’s incredible. Of the top four, the Ravens and Giants have the best personnel. It’s easy to separate the top four from the rest. 

The race for the nine available head coach jobs is on. 

Minnesota Vikings Coaches

Every NFL offseason brings changes. That’s especially true for teams that didn’t make the playoffs. The first changes often involve the coaches. At least the Minnesota Vikings aren’t one of the eight teams looking for a new head coach. At a minimum, head coach Kevin O’Connell will be/is looking for a new safeties coach. Michael Hutchings was hired in 2023 to assist with the defensive backs. He was promoted to safeties coach in 2024. In three years, he’s impressed and his future is bright. It’s so bright, that Cal hired him to be the defensive coordinator for new head coach Tosh Lupoi. As a Vikings fan, I hate to see him go. As a Cal alumnus, I love the hire. It’s a fine line. If the Vikings lose only Hutchings, it will be a nice offseason. As has been the case since he was hired after the 2022 season, the annual Brian Flores watch is on. He’s been a revelation as the Vikings defensive coordinator. He’s deserving of a head coach opportunity. He’s been kept from that opportunity by a controversial three-year stint as the Miami Dolphins, a lawsuit against the league, and perhaps a splash of racism amongst a collection of rich, white owners. Personally, I want Flores to be handling the Vikings defense for eternity. Honestly, he deserves another shot at running a team. This is the third offseason that the Vikings have waited for Flores to wade through the head coach opportunities available to him. So far this year, the Baltimore Ravens are the only team that has requested an interview. He has that interview this week. If Flores does get that deserved opportunity to run a team, the Vikings top internal candidate to replace him is probably pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones. The problem there is that he’s drawn the interest from a teams across the league with defensive coordinator needs. He interviewed with some teams last year and he’s getting interview requests this year. If the Vikings were to lose both, it’d create some huge defensive coaching holes. 

As for the rest of the Vikings coaching staff, it’s wait and see. Some might see needed changes with the offensive line coaches. The offensive line has been an issue for more than a decade. An overhaul of the interior of the line last offseason was a big reason for optimism going into the season. Due to a ridiculous run of injuries, they were a problem rather than a solution. Line coach Chris Kuper and assistant Keith Carter rarely knew what players would be available until a game’s first snap. It’s tough to get a group ready to play when you never know who might make up that group. The Vikings offensive line must play better. That’s obvious. My belief is that the problems this year were simply because of the injuries. While I lean towards giving Kuper and Carter a pass on this past year and an opportunity for another year, I can’t help but think of the coaches that seem to get solid line play no matter the players available. The Vikings special teams got some criticism through the season. There were some glaring mistakes but, overall, each of the groups played well and seemed to grade well. I think Matt Daniels and Dalmin Gibson are safe. 

At the moment, here’s the Vikings coaching staff. 

Minnesota Vikings Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Kevin O’Connell

Assistant Head Coach: Mike Pettine

Offensive Coordinator: Wes Phillips

Defensive Coordinator: Brian Flores

Special Teams Coordinator: Matt Daniels

Offense:

Quarterbacks: Josh McCown

Assistant Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Quarterbacks: Jordan Traylor

Senior Offensive Assistant: Chris O’Hara

Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs: Curtis Modkins

Receivers: Keenan McCardell

Assistant Receivers: Tony Sorrentino

Pass Game Coodinator/Tight Ends: Brian Angelichio

Offensive Line: Chris Kuper

Assistant Offensive Line: Keith Carter

Pass Game Specialist/Game Management Coordinator: Ryan Cordell

Quality Control: Derron Montgomery

Offensive Assistant: Ben Ellefson

Assistant to the Head Coach: Henry Schneider IV

Defense:

Defensive Line: Marcus Dixon

Assistant Defensive Line: Imarjaye Albury Sr.

Inside Linebackers: Mike Siravo

Outside Linebackers: Thad Bogardus

Assistant Outside Linebackers: Patrick Hill

Pass Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs: Daronte Jones

Safeties: ?

Quality Control: Chenzo Funari

Defensive Assistant: Charlie Frye

Special Teams:

Assistant Special Teams: Dalmin Gibson

Minnesota Vikings Free Agents

Thirty-plus years of free agency have turned every NFL offseason into a roster churn. The first decisions facing teams are whether to bring back their own free agents. The Minnesota Vikings will have some difficult decisions to make this offseason. The difficulty starts with being nearly $40 million over the estimated 2026 salary cap. The Vikings must get under the cap before they can even make decisions on their own free agents. Here’s a look at the players with expiring contracts. 

Unrestricted Free Agents

C.J. Ham, FB

Eric Wilson, LB

Jeff Okudah, CB

Tavierre Thomas, S

Justin Skule, OT

Rondale Moore, WR

Ryan Wright, P

Carson Wentz, QB

Andrew DePaola, LS

Matt Nelson, OT

Brett Rypien, QB

Ty Chandler, RB

Jalen Nailor, WR

Restricted Free Agents

Ivan Pace, LB

Ben Sims, TE

Exclusive Rights Free Agents

Bo Richter, OLB

Jalen Redmond, DT

Zavier Scott, RB

It’s a good thing that the Vikings don’t have a lot of must-sign free agents. The one player that I consider must-sign is defensive tackle Jalen Redmond and he’s an exclusive rights free agent. 

Among the unrestricted free agents, the following are the players I’d most like to see return.

Eric Wilson

Ryan Wright

It’d be nice to have Jalen Nailor return but I’m guessing he’s going to be offered a deal in free agency the Vikings can’t afford to match. He’s probably also looking for an increased opportunity that he probably won’t get behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. 

The only thing that might give the Vikings pause about bringing back long snapper Andrew DePaola is that he’s going to be 39 during the 2026 season. He’s still one of the best in the league. I don’t see that changing at the grand age of 39. 

Receiver Rondale Moore is a curiosity. I really wanted to see him get an opportunity last season. That was taken away when he tore his ACL in a preseason game. Do the Vikings bring him back? I’d be for it. 

Over the next month, the Vikings will be making decisions on their current players. Then come the decisions on the players with expiring contracts. 

NFL Head Coach and General Manager Churn

There was a moment, not all that long ago, that it looked like a light year in the NFL’s annual head coach churn. Every year, it feels like at least seven or eight teams are looking for a new head coach. This year wasn’t light for long. Two teams fired their head coach during the season. A few more seemed inevitable after the season. Having four to six teams looking for a new coach felt light. “Black Monday” should be “Black Week” as the firings kept dropping as the days passed. By the end of the week, eight teams are now looking for a new head coach.

New York Giants

Fired: Brian Dabol

Tennessee Titans

Fired: Brian Callahan

Arizona Cardinals

Fired: Jonathan Gannon

Atlanta Falcons 

Fired: Raheem Morris

Baltimore Ravens

Fired: John Harbaugh

Cleveland Browns

Fired: Kevin Stefanski

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired: Pete Carroll

Miami Dolphins

Fired: Mike McDaniel

While I thought that this might be a light churn, the John Harbaugh firing is the only that I truly found surprising. 18 consistently successful seasons and a Super Bowl title felt like strong reasons for at least another year. Perhaps swap Todd Monken for an offensive coordinator that was a better fit with Lamar Jackson. I expected tweaks to the Ravens coaches rather than kicking Harbaugh out the door. I don’t expect him to be unemployed long.

The cycle is fairly light when it comes to the annual general manager churn. There are only two teams looking for a new general manager.

Atlanta Falcons

Fired: Terry Fontenot

Miami Dolphins

Fired: Chris Grier

Since both teams are also looking for a new head coach, the general manager search, interviews, and hiring should proceed at a nice pace.

Current Interview Requests:

Head Coach

New York Giants

Mike Kafka - Giants interim head coach

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Mike McCarthy - former Cowboys head coach

Lou Anarumo - Colts DC

Raheem Morris - former Falcons head coach

Antonio Pierce - former Raiders head coach

Darren Rizzi - Broncos assistant head coach

Tennessee Titans

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Steve Spagnuoulo - Chiefs DC

Lou Anarumo - Colts DC

Raheem Morris - former Falcons head coach

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Jason Garrett - former Cowboys head coach

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Arthur Smith - Steelers OC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Kliff Kingsbury - former Commanders OC

Mike McCarthy - former Cowboys head coach

Mike McCoy - Titans interim head coach

Mike McDaniel - former Dolphins head coach

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Chris Shula - Rams DC

Arizona Cardinals

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Thomas Brown - Patriots passing game coordinator 

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Raheem Morris - former Falcons head coach

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Thomas Brown - Patriots passing game coordinator

Atlanta Falcons

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Jeff Hafley - Packers DC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Aden Durde - Seahawks DC

Baltimore Ravens

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Davis Webb - Broncos QB coach

Anthony Weaver - Dolphins DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Brian Flores - Vikings DC

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Kliff Kingsbury - former Commanders OC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Joe Brady - Bills OC

Kevin Stefanski - former Browns head coach

Cleveland Browns 

Todd Monken - Ravens OC

Aden Durde - Seahawks DC

Dan Pitcher - Bengals OC

Tommy Rees - Browns OC

Jim Schwartz - Browns DC

Mike McDaniel - former Dolphins head coach

Jesse Minter - Chargers DC

Las Vegas Raiders

Vance Joseph - Broncos DC

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Davis Webb - Broncos QB coach

Matt Nagy - Chiefs OC

Miami Dolphins

Klint Kubiak - Seahawks OC

Robert Saleh - 49ers DC

Chris Shula - Rams DC

For merely sentimental reasons, it’d be pretty cool to see Don Shula’s grandson coaching the Dolphins. 

General Manager

Atlanta Falcons

Ian Cunningham - Bears assistant GM

Josh Williams - 49ers director of scouting football

Miami Dolphins

Chad Alexander - Chargers assistant GM

Champ Kelly - Dolphins interim GM

Jon-Eric Sullivan - Packers VP of Player Personnel

Josh Williams - 49ers director of scouting football

The Dolphins acted fast as they found their new general manager: Jon-Eric Sullivan. 

Flea Flicker Wild Card Predictions

It’s the playoffs! Here are some guesses at the Wild Card games. 

Los Angeles Rams @ Carolina Panthers

Pick: Rams

This is the most wide open playoffs that I can remember. The Panthers are the one team I don’t see with a chance.

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears

Pick: Packers

It’s the third game this season in the most contested rivalry in league history. The Bears lost the first one and got a lucky win in the second. It seems like the Bears need Caleb Williams miracles to win any game. That’s no way to be consistently successful.

Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Pick: Bills

This is more a pick of Josh Allen than anything. 

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: 49ers

This may be more wanting the 49ers to win than thinking they win.

Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots

Pick: Chargers

Justin Herbert finally gets a playoff win.

Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Texans

The Steelers are right there with the Panthers as teams with zero chance in a wide open playoffs. 

Minnesota Vikings Futures Contracts

The first move of any NFL offseason is the signing of players to futures contracts. As a fan of a team, it’s a sad reminder that a season is over. On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings signed eight players to futures contracts. 

Dontae Fleming, WR

Kahlef Hailassie, S

Josh Ross, LB

Vershon Lee, OL

Caleb Etienne, OT

Joaquin Davis, WR

Jeshaun Jones, WR

Bryson Nesbit, TE

All eight players were on the Vikings practice squad. Their shot with the Vikings continues. Perhaps more exciting, the Vikings signed two players out of the Canadian Football League. 

Jaylon Hutchings, DL

Jacob Roberts, LB

Adding new players is always exciting. Both players played for the Calgary Stampeders. 

Jaylon Hutchings was named All-CFL in his single season with the Stampeders. With eight sacks and 39 tackles, he was one of the league’s best defensive linemen. Undrafted out of Texas Tech in the 2024 NFL Draft, Hutchings signed with the Chicago Bears but was released during roster cutdowns. Then it was on to Canada. It’s difficult to not think of Jalen Redmond when seeing the signing of Hutchings. Both probably would’ve been drafted out of college if not for health concerns. Both were signed out of another professional football league. Both play on the defensive line. Redmond started making his presence felt at the end of the 2024 season. So much so, he was one of the team’s most intriguing players going into the 2025 season. He was all set to become an important part of the Vikings defensive linemen rotation. He performed so well during training camp that Harrison Phillips was traded to the New York Jets. In his first season as a starter, Jalen Redmond became an impact player, a Pro Bowl snub, and a franchise fixture moving forward. Maybe, Jaylon Hutchings can take a similar path.

Jacob Roberts played college football at North Carolina AT&T and Wake Forest. Undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, he headed to the CFL. He joined the Calgary Stampeders during the 2024 season. In a full 2025 season, Roberts had a team-leading 93 tackles. He also had four sacks, a forced fumble, and 10 special teams tackles. Now, he has an NFL shot with the Vikings.

Flea Flicker 2025 NFL Awards

Here’s a look at some of the best players of the 2025 NFL season. 

Most Valuable Player

Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns

This award doesn’t always have to go a quarterback. This was a year in which definitely shouldn’t go to a quarterback. 

Offensive Player of the Year

Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

Defensive Player of the Year

Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns

Comeback Player of the Year

Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Coach of the Year

Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns

All-Pro Team

Quarterback

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Running Back

Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Fullback

C.J. Ham, Minnesota Vikings 

Wide Receivers

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattles Seahawks

Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

Tight End

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

Offensive Tackles

Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers

Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions

Offensive Guards

Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts

Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos

Center

Aaron Brewer, Miami Dolphins

Defense

Edge Rushers

Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns 

Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans

Interior Defensive Linemen

Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans

Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks

Linebackers

Zach Baun, Philadelphia Eagles

Blake Cashman, Minnesota Vikings

Devin Loyd, Jacksonville Jaguars

Cornerbacks

Derrick Stingley Jr., Houston Texans

Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks

Safeties

Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens

Jalen Pitre, Houston Texans

Special Teams

Kicker

Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings

Punter

Ryan Wright, Minnesota Vikings

Long Snapper

Andrew DePaola, Minnesota Vikings 

Kick Returner

Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills

Punt Returner

Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans

Minnesota Vikings 2025 Superlatives

I already miss Minnesota Vikings football. Seeing as the Vikings have never won a Super Bowl, every season has ended with disappointment. The day that it doesn’t is coming! And it’s coming soon! Anyway, that day is for another day. This day is a little look back at the season that just ended. Here are some of the Minnesota Vikings Superlatives for the 2025 season.

Most Valuable Player

Justin Jefferson, WR

The Minnesota Vikings 2025 season was frustrating. Much of those frustrations was seen weekly in the face of the face of the team. Justin Jefferson is the team’s best player. He’s the best receiver in the league and one of the best the league has ever seen. He’s a game-changer and too often this season he wasn’t given the chance to change games. The Vikings focused on fixing the offensive line in the offseason. They overhauled the interior. The five expected starters played a total of 83 snaps together. 83! That’s a robust number for a single game. It’s a tiny number for an entire season. Injuries forced the Vikings to start a different offensive line in nearly every game. Right guard Will Fries was the only offensive lineman that played every game. The offensive line injuries and the resulting inconsistencies were a big reason the Vikings offense struggled for much of the season. The quarterbacks were under siege. Starter J.J. McCarthy missed 7 games to three injuries. Backup Carson Wentz played most of his five games with a seriously injured left shoulder. It was an injury that ultimately required surgery and ended his season. Third-string Max Brosmer was forced to start two games and finish two other games. He wasn’t ready. All of those difficulties was easily seen in Jefferson’s frustrations this year. Far too often he was never given the opportunity to change games. His statistics reflected that. It’s actually remarkable that he was still able to pass 1000 receiving yards for the season. It might be more appropriate to award a defensive player the team’s MVP award. Or even the kicker. It can be argued that Will Reichard had the best season of any Vikings player. I’m going with Justin Jefferson for the leadership that he showed throughout a very difficult season.

Offensive Player of the Year

Will Fries, G

The Viking offense wasn’t good in 2025. Injuries throughout the offensive line were a big part of that. Will Fries was one of the big free agent signings of the offseason. He missed most of his final season with the Indianapolis Colts with a severely broken leg. Perhaps as a result of that, it might’ve taken a while to get his feet back under him this season. He improved with each week. Most importantly, he was the only offensive lineman that was available for every game. For that reason, he’s the Vikings Offensive Player of the Year. 

Defensive Player of the Year

Jalen Redmond, DL

As a rookie, Jalen Redmond was a revelation late last season. Going into this season, it felt like he’d have a significant rotational role on the defensive line. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave were big free agent additions. Harrison Phillips was the team’s best run stuffer. A defensive line of Allen, Phillips, and Hargrave was expected to be a team strength. It became evident through training camp that Redmond was ready for an even bigger role. A much bigger role. He was performing so well that Phillips was deemed expendable and was traded to the New York Jets. Redmond earned a starting role. The Vikings defense eventually rounded into one of the league’s best. Jalen Redmond was a big reason for that. He was a Pro Bowl snub. Hopefully, the All-Pro voters will treat him more fairly. With six sacks, he was one of the league’s best interior pass rushers. His 62 tackles help show his impact against the run. 

Jalen Redmond has emerged as one of the team’s defensive fixtures. 

Special Teams Player of the Year

Will Reichard, K

The Vikings actually have some contenders for this award. Punter Ryan Wright had his best season. Rookie Myles Price emerged as an impact returner. Despite that, this is an easy one. Will Reichard had an absolutely ridiculous season. He was perfect on extra points. There’s an argument that he was also perfect on field goals. The record book will show that Reichard missed two field goals. His first miss of the season hit a camera wire in London. His second miss might’ve hit a camera wire. With a long of 62 yards, the Vikings are in Reichard’s range when they reach the 50-yard line. 

The Vikings have a problematic kicking history. After two seasons with Will Reichard, I no longer cringe when the Vikings kicker comes on the field. 

Rookie of the Year

Donovan Jackson, G

I thought that Donovan Jackson was terrific from the start. In reality, he had a steady rise through the season. Wrist surgery after the win over the Cincinnati Bengals kept him out of the international games. He also missed the Seattle Seahawks game. In his 14 games as a rookie, he played like the guard the Vikings have long sought.  Jackson and Christian Darrisaw will form one of the best left sides in the league. 

Offseason Addition of the Year

Eric Wilson, LB

The Vikings hit the free agency jackpot in 2024. The 2025 class didn’t have quite the impact but there are multiple contenders for this award. Running back Jordan Mason and guard Will Fries on offense. Linebacker Eric Wilson and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers on defense. The decision is actually an easy one. When Eric Wilson was signed in the offseason it made for a nice story. He started his career in Minnesota in 2017. For four years, he was a very good special teams player and reliable backup on defense. The he left for the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency and eventually found a home with a solid three-year run with the Green Bay Packers. His return to Minnesota was a nice homecoming. Blake Cashman’s injury in Week 1 put him on the field. He played so well that the Vikings couldn’t take him off. There were several games in which Wilson was the team’s most impactful defensive player. He was no longer just a reliable backup. He was an integral part of one of the league’s best defenses. His stats rank with the best off-the-ball linebackers in the league.

115 tackles

6.5 sacks

17 tackles for loss

4 forced fumbles

Signed as a supplemental player, Wilson played at a Pro Bowl/All-Pro level.

Assistant Coach of the Year

Brian Flores, Defensive Coordinator

This award is as easy as the Special Teams Player of the Year. After getting though some early injuries, the Vikings defense really hit their stride over the last half of the season. Over the past month, they might’ve been the league’s best defense. Brian Flores deserves another head coaching opportunity. My dream is that he’s the Vikings defensive coordinator for life.