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HOW J.J. MCCARTHY PLANS TO USE "AVAILABILITY AS A SKILL" TO WIN BACK QB1
The Minnesota Vikings are refusing to commit to J.J. McCarthy for 2026. Discover their plan to build a competitive QB room.
This past season, Minnesota Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had some sleepless nights wondering where he went wrong. Why were quarterback issues causing so many losses, and what could he do to fix it for 2026?
It's easy to look back and judge based on results, Adofo-Mensah said. But thinking about what we knew then, I still understand our decisions. The results might not have been what we hoped for. Ultimately, we could have done a better job with player acquisitions.
Not pointing fingers at specific players, but we could have better matched the room's playstyle and experience. Putting together a better group overall – that's what I'm focusing on.
This explains why the Vikings plan to repeat a similar process for their quarterback situation this offseason, but with a stronger focus on getting better results. Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O'Connell both emphasised the depth they want around J.J. McCarthy. Neither is committed to McCarthy as the starter for 2026, but they also haven't given up on him after his rocky rookie season with injuries.
Basically, the Vikings are in a similar position to last year: hoping to pair McCarthy with a capable quarterback who can compete for the starting role and provide insurance against injuries or slow development.
Last year, they thought Daniel Jones would be that guy, but he signed with the Indianapolis Colts. McCarthy then became the default starter after the team put together a depth chart that included Sam Howell, Brett Rypien, and Max Brosmer. The Vikings ended up ranking 29th in the NFL in team QBR (34.9).
Late in the season, ESPN questioned whether the Vikings might pursue a quarterback with the credentials to immediately take over from McCarthy as the starter in 2026. No one ruled it out. At the very least, the Vikings will likely target a quarterback similar to Jones in 2025, who won the Colts' job in training camp and started 13 games before getting injured.
'I definitely want a competitive situation,' O'Connell said.
Just as they weren't sure if McCarthy was ready to start in 2025, the Vikings didn't see enough last season to be sure he'll progress enough to lead them to the playoffs in 2026. When asked if he wanted McCarthy to be the starter, Adofo-Mensah paused before saying, I want the Vikings to reach our goals.
And making playoff runs is one of those goals, Adofo-Mensah added. I think he has the character and skill to be that person for our team. But saying that for 2026 kind of limits us; I need to build a deep, competitive quarterback room for the Vikings.
This means the Vikings will again walk a tightrope that failed them last season. The limited number of starting-calibre quarterbacks in the NFL means that players like Jones have options. Jones chose the Colts because he saw a clearer path to the starting job. By the time he made that decision, the Vikings couldn't use their franchise tag to keep 2024 starter Sam Darnold. The remaining quarterbacks weren't as good, leading the Vikings to acquire Howell.
Can the Vikings find someone better in 2026? Jones is again a free agent, but the Colts want to re-sign him. Unless the Vikings make a major trade for someone like Joe Burrow, the available options will have flaws.
Backup Malik Willis is a free agent and likely to have interest from other teams. The Falcons might release Kirk Cousins. Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco will be free agents. So will Jimmy Garoppolo and Russell Wilson.
Mac Jones and Geno Smith could be traded, and the Dolphins might move on from Tua Tagovailoa. Jones has been a backup for two seasons, Smith ranked 27th in NFL QBR this season, and Tagovailoa ranked 26th.
The best scenario for the Vikings is for McCarthy to improve this offseason quickly and learn how to avoid injuries. McCarthy said his performance and health are connected: 'I feel like the injuries will slowly fade away with just more awareness,' and Adofo-Mensah agreed that being available is a skill.
Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell made it clear that they can't rely on that progress. It's understandable, but finding a quarterback is tough. The Vikings had a good plan in 2025, but couldn't make it happen. Can they do better this time? Their 2026 season likely depends on it.
HAMMER DROPPED: DILLON BROOKS SUSPENDED BY NBA AFTER HITTING 16TH TECHNICAL FOUL LIMIT
Dillon Brooks hits the 16-technical foul limit! Discover the cost of his suspension and how it affects the Phoenix Suns' season.
Dillon Brooks just picked up a one-game suspension from the NBA; his 16th technical foul of the season finally caught up with him. If you’ve followed Brooks at all, this probably doesn’t surprise you. The guy’s known for playing right up to the edge, stirring things up on the court, and, honestly, not backing down from anyone. This latest tech happened in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder, after a run-in with referee James Williams. That was all the NBA needed to drop the hammer.
The league released a pretty standard statement: “Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks has been suspended one game without pay for receiving his 16th technical foul of the 2025-26 season,” signed off by James Jones, who runs basketball ops for the Suns. Because of the suspension, Brooks will lose a chunk of change, $121,403, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
After the game, Brooks sounded tired of the whole thing. “I had a ref tell me that I play the victim, so I ain’t talking no more about that,” he told reporters. “Yeah. He said I’m playing victim all the time. And when I don’t play victim, I’m the bad guy.” When pressed, Brooks didn’t hold back. “If you’re going to be consistently bad, then be consistently bad throughout the whole game. Don’t try to fix it during the game. Don’t try to even out foul calls or whatever it may be. If you’re going to be bad, be bad the whole game.”
The NBA isn’t budging on this one. Brooks will sit out the Suns’ first game after the All-Star break. Hitting 16 technicals in a season triggers an automatic one-game suspension. And it doesn’t stop there; every two more technicals means another game on the bench, no pay.
Brooks is actually having a career year in Phoenix, averaging 21.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, shooting 44.1% from the field, 34.3% from three, and 85.6% from the line. But now, with this suspension hanging over him, he’ll have to rein it in if he wants to stay on the court.
This season’s been wild with NBA suspensions, not just Brooks. The massive brawl between the Pistons and Hornets stands out. Four players got tossed and then suspended: Isaiah Stewart (aka Beef Stew) and Jalen Duren for Detroit, and Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate for Charlotte. Stewart got seven games for charging off the bench and into the fight. Duren, who just made his first All-Star team, got two games but will still play in the All-Star Game. Bridges and Diabate each got four games for “fighting and escalating the altercation”, per the league.
And that’s not all. Jaxson Hayes of the Lakers got suspended for a game after shoving a mascot. Yes, really. He apologised but still had to sit. Rudy Gobert picked up a one-game ban for racking up too many flagrant fouls. Dennis Schroder, back when he was with Sacramento, drew a three-game suspension for a post-game incident with Luka Donci, who he reportedly tried to take a swing at in the arena tunnel. Jose Alvarado and Mark Williams both got two games for fighting earlier in the year.
Then there’s Paul George, who got hit with a whopping 25-game suspension for violating the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. That’s the longest one in recent memory.
As for who’s next in the technical foul race, Luka Doncic has 13, Stewart has 12, and Draymond Green sits at 11. If any of them hit 16, expect a similar one-game vacation from the league.
MVG MASTERCLASS: MICHAEL VAN GERWEN KNOCKS OUT LUKE LITTLER TO REACH ANTWERP FINAL TODAY
Michael van Gerwen is back! Read how he defeated Luke Littler in Antwerp to secure his second straight Premier League final.
Michael van Gerwen is looking like his old self again. He just knocked Luke Littler out of night two at Premier League Darts and did it in style.
Littler, who’s only 19, picked up his first win of the Premier League season on Thursday; he edged out his long-time rival Luke Humphries in a wild match in Antwerp. But that run didn’t last. In the semi-finals, he ran straight into a fired-up Van Gerwen.
Last year was rough for Van Gerwen, no way around it. But now? He’s come roaring back. He won the opening night in Newcastle and just added Littler’s name to his growing list of big wins.
Fans loved it. “That was a quality performance from Van Gerwen! “Back-to-back finals for MVG,” someone posted online. Another said, “If this version of Van Gerwen is here to stay, darts are going to be in a better place by the end of 2026!” The excitement kept rolling—"Darts is always better when MVG plays like this,” one fan wrote. And then: “He is so back. This is his year!” Someone else just put it simply: “MVG is so back, and you love to see it!”
Even on Sky Sports, Dan Dawson couldn’t help himself: “Michael van Gerwen is in back-to-back finals to start this year’s Premier League. The Green Machine sees off The Nuke.”
Littler’s stuck at just two points from the first two weeks, while Van Gerwen could walk away with two weekly wins already.
Now Van Gerwen waits to see if he’ll face Johnny Clayton or Gerwyn Price in the final in Belgium. Both Welshmen got there by beating Stephen Bunting and Gian van Veen.
Littler, on the other hand, really needs a deep run next Thursday in Glasgow to get his campaign back on track. Two points in two weeks just isn’t enough.
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