The Minnesota Vikings are bringing back quarterback Carson Wentz on a one-year contract.

The financial details of the contract have not been revealed. This will be Wentz’s second year with the Vikings.

Last season, Wentz served as the backup to J.J. McCarthy. He started five games and threw six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Earlier this offseason, the Vikings signed Kyler Murray after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. Since McCarthy is still on the roster, Wentz will likely be the third-string QB. Last season, McCarthy threw 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 10 games. 

Less than a decade ago, Wentz was considered for MVP. In 2017, he threw 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 13 games for the Philadelphia Eagles. Many people forgot about this season after Nick Foles led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory.  

Wentz kept up his good play for a while longer. In 2021, with the Indianapolis Colts, he threw 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions while playing all 17 games. However, in 2022, he threw 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight games with the Washington Commanders before being benched in favor of Taylor Heinicke.  

Since 2022, Wentz has largely been a backup. He’s played in 10 games and has eight touchdowns and six interceptions.

With the Eagles in 2017, Wentz worked under offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Reich is known for his West Coast-style offense. This is similar to the system that Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips runs. If Wentz gets consistent playing time, the Vikings system could be the best fit for reviving his career. 

NFL training camps will begin in July. Wentz will need to compete with 2025 undrafted free agent Max Brosmer. Brosmer threw zero touchdowns and four interceptions in two starts in 2025. Brosmer still has practice squad eligibility, which could allow the Vikings to retain him. 

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore was found dead on Feb. 22 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

New Albany, Indiana, police found Moore’s body in a garage in the town. Moore was born and raised in New Albany. Police have not released specific information yet, including whether it was his garage or someone else’s. 

Rondale Moore’s Cause Of Death

Moore became famous during his time at Purdue. In 2018, he had 114 receptions, 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns to lead the Big Ten. This is the fourth most yards for a freshman wide receiver in college football history. 

Moore’s next two seasons at college were limited due to injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic. He played just seven games in the two seasons. At this rate, he would have 1,127 yards a season. Despite limited playing time outside of his freshman year, he clearly showed his talent. He declared for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Moore was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He played three seasons for the Cardinals from 2021 to 2023. In 2023, he played all 17 games. Despite this, he only had 352 yards.

Moore was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in the 2024 offseason. He suffered a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. The Vikings signed him in the 2025 offseason. He again suffered an injury in the preseason that prevented him from playing a regular-season game. 

The autopsy report for Moore has not been released at this time. Police are not releasing a lot of information out of respect for Moore’s family. Moore had never been diagnosed with mental health issues.

Moore’s former teammate, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, told People that he had spoken with Moore just hours before his death, when Moore told him he was struggling.

While Sam Darnold is preparing for the Super Bowl, his former teammate Justin Jefferson can only help but wonder what could’ve been. 

“But having a quarterback that already had a season under his belt with us,” Jefferson said, “knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players, throwing to me, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, all these guys, I definitely feel like we would have done better.”

Darnold was signed by the Minnesota Vikings during the 2024 offseason. Originally, he was projected to be J.J. McCarthy’s backup. However, after McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury, Darnold was named the starter.

Darnold threw 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on the way to 14 wins. He made his first career Pro Bowl for his performance. The Vikings lost in the wild-card game to the Los Angeles Rams, where Darnold had one touchdown and one interception. 

The Vikings decided to let Darnold leave in the offseason. Darnold signed a three-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks while the Vikings looked to start McCarthy in 2025. McCarthy threw 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 10 games. Backup Carson Wentz didn’t do much better with six touchdowns and five interceptions in five games. 

Darnold won 14 games with the Seahawks, while the Vikings won just nine. 

The Vikings’ future at the QB position is currently in doubt. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired in late January. Rob Brzezinski will be the acting GM until after the NFL draft.

Brzezinski will need to decide whether he wants to be aggressive or passive during the offseason. The choice he makes will directly affect who wants the GM job. At the QB position, he’ll need to decide if he wants to draft a young QB, sign a veteran, starting-quality QB, or just keep things the same and trust McCarthy’s development. 

Minnesota Vikings third-year wide receiver Jordan Addison was arrested in Tampa, Florida, early Monday morning and was charged with trespassing, according to authorities.

Addison was arrested by Seminole Indian Police at 3:46 a.m. ET on January 12 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel. He was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for trespassing in an occupied structure, according to court documents. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Addison was later released from custody after posting bail for a $500 bond.

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Addison has struggled with staying out of legal trouble, as earlier in the season, the young wideout faced a three-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Addison was arrested in July of 2024 on suspicion of a DUI after he was found asleep at the wheel. He later pleaded guilty to the charge.

During the summer of his rookie season, Addison was pulled over in Minnesota for going 140 mph. As part of a plea deal, he pleaded guilty to a single speeding count in Ramsey County Court.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked about Addison’s arrest at his end-of-season press conference and did not add any further comments, stating, “I don’t want to speculate on that in any way, shape, or form.”

Addison also drew attention to himself when he missed team walkthroughs before a matchup against the Cleveland Browns in London.

The Vikings have a big decision to make about Addison’s fifth-year player option: whether to give him that extra year. The option would guarantee Addison $17.5 million in 2027.

The former Biletnikoff award winner has totaled 2,396 yards and 22 touchdowns through his first three seasons. Addison has proven to be a reliable deep threat next to Justin Jefferson, but with questions off the field, the Vikings may have to move on from the talented wideout.

The Minnesota Vikings will be without several key players on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is still nursing an ankle injury.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed early on Friday that McCarthy is unavailable for the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Carson Wentz is expected to start for the third straight week.

“[McCarthy] got through [the week] pretty well,” O’Connell said. “Obviously, with the weather today, my hope was to try to get him some work individually. But with the weather and the tight field space – we’re working on a 100-yard field – we wanted to be smart with that. Very much looking forward to spending some time with him next week and then seeing where he’s at coming out of the bye.”

O’Connell also ruled out centers Ryan Kelly and Michael Jurgens, offensive tackle Brian O’Neill and left guard Donovan Jackson.

McCarthy’s injury occurred during Week 2 in a 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The 22-year-old has not practiced with the team since suffering the knock.

Wentz will be looking to build off 350 passing yards and two touchdowns in last week’s defeat against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin. Despite the former North Dakota State quarterback also throwing two interceptions and suffering six sacks, O’Connell is backing Wentz for another upcoming start.

“It’s not going to be comfortable for one snap playing against this defense on Sunday,” O’Connell said. “We know that, one of the best in football. But at the same time, if the guys in the huddle do their jobs and we just get simple execution done at a high level, I think we’re going to compete and have a chance against these guys.”

A heartwarming moment occurred after Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson gifted a young fan his SportsCenter Top 10 chain following Monday Night Football’s win against the Chicago Bears.

Down 17-6 in the fourth quarter, the Vikings scored 21 unanswered points to take home a 27-24 opening week win at Solider Field.

Jefferson, who scored to begin Minnesota’s second-half comeback, approached the young fan in the front row following the game. The 26-year-old proceeded to put his SportCenter Top 10 chain around the fan’s neck and gifted him the game ball.

The former LSU receiver recorded 44 yards against the Bears along with the touchdown. He is currently entering his sixth season in the NFL.

The Vikings are looking to win back-to-back games to start the season as they host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football.

Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy overcame a rocky start to deliver a historic debut, propelling the Minnesota Vikings to a 27-24 win over the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

McCarthy threw two touchdowns and ran for another in the fourth quarter, destroying the Bears’ 11-point lead. He made history as the first player in NFL history to score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter in a debut game.

The way the game started, it seemed the Bears’ quarterback, Caleb Williams, would be the star of the game. It looked as though the Bears were on their way to an easy win with a 17-6 lead after the first three quarters.

Except during halftime, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell challenged the rookie quarterback to seize the game.

“I told him at halftime – ‘You are going to bring us back to win this game,’ and the look in his eye was fantastic,” O’Connell said to reporters after the game. “The best thing is just the belief I felt from the team and unit. Ultimately, that doesn’t get done without him in the second half.”

McCarthy connected with wide receiver Justin Jefferson for a 13-yard touchdown, then later found running back Aaron Jones for a 27-yard score. He added a two-point conversion to wide receiver Adam Thielen and capped the Vikings’ comeback with a 14-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes left on the clock.

Teammates praised McCarthy for his confidence under pressure. The 21-year-old credited a pregame ritual to fueling his focus. He marked his face with two black streaks of “war paint.”

“It’s like I’m ready to die on that field, and I’m ready to do anything possible to get that win,” McCarthy told reporters. “It’s not going to look pretty, and it’s not going to look like someone just did my makeup for Halloween; it’s war paint.”

His performance marked the first time since Steven Young in 1985 that a quarterback overcame a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit in his first NFL game. The defense rallied behind McCarthy in the second half of the game, which led to the historic win.

The Vikings return home to host the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 14 with McCarthy carrying the momentum of his NFL debut.

The Minnesota Vikings went 14-3 in 2024 in a great season led by breakout quarterback Sam Darnold, who was signed in free agency. The Vikings made the playoffs but lost to the Rams in the wild-card round, losing 27-9. The team’s season was still a success despite not being initially predicted to make the playoffs. Head coach Kevin O’Connell won coach of the year after winning the most games in a season since 1998.

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The Vikings went into the offseason with one huge issue, which was the quarterback position. The Vikings would end up letting Darnold walk in free agency and go with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who they drafted 10th overall in 2023 but missed all of 2024 with a knee injury. They signed several players like defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, guard Will Fries, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, wide receiver Rondale Moore, center Ryan Kelly and cornerback Jeff Okudah. The Vikings also traded for running back Jordan Mason from the 49ers to pair up with starting running back Aaron Jones. The Vikings lost several key players, including safety Cam Bynum, tackle Cam Robinson, and linebacker Patrick Jones.

The Vikings went into the draft with the 24th overall pick and selected offensive lineman Donovan Jackson out of Ohio State in the first round. Their draft class also included wide receiver Tai Felton, defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, linebackers Kobe King and tight end Gavin Bartholomew. Minnesota also traded for quarterback Sam Howell from the Seahawks during the draft, giving up the 142nd overall pick and the 172nd pick.

Minnesota will have some early adjustments to make at the beginning of the season with a new quarterback. Still, it will have to figure it out quickly, having the seventh most challenging schedule in the NFL, according to Fox Sports. The Vikings will face the Bears in week one in their first game with McCarthy starting. The Vikings will also play in Ireland and England this season, facing the Steelers and Browns in back-to-back weeks. The Vikings’ key matchups will be against the Lions, Packers, Ravens, and Eagles, all of whom made the playoffs last season.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS SCHEDULE & TICKET DEALS

• Week 1: at Chicago Bears
• Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons
• Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
• Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers (Dublin, Ireland)
• Week 5: at Cleveland Browns (London, England)
• Week 6: Bye Week
• Week 7: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 8: at Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 9: at Detroit Lions
• Week 10: vs. Baltimore Ravens
• Week 11: vs. Chicago Bears
• Week 12: at Green Bay Packers
• Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks
• Week 14: vs. Washington Commanders
• Week 15: at Dallas Cowboys
• Week 16: at New York Giants
• Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions (Christmas Day)
• Week 18: vs. Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings Season/Game Odds

Minnesota opens the season with +2800 odds of winning its first Super Bowl in 2025 and with +1300 odds of winning the NFC Championship. They also opened as +1.5 odds underdogs against the Bears on the road in week one.

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The Philadelphia Eagles have acquired quarterback Sam Howell from the Minnesota Vikings, a strategic move made by General Manager Howie Roseman.

In exchange, the Vikings received a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. The Eagles received a 2026 sixth-round pick and Howell. This will be Howell’s second move this offseason, the first being traded from the Seahawks to the Vikings in April.

Howell will be Jalen Hurt‘s main backup quarterback, while Tanner McKee continues recovering from a finger injury during practice last week. There have not been any significant updates on the injury.

In a press conference on Friday, Coach Nick Sirianni said that the team will wait to see if McKee is available for the season opener on September 4. Howell offers the team more stability in case McKee’s injury continues through the regular season.

The reports on the trade came shortly after the Vikings had agreed to sign quarterback and former Eagle Carson Wentz.

In 2022, the Washington Commanders selected Howell in the fifth round of the NFL Draft after a decorated career at the University of North Carolina. He played one game as a rookie in 2022 against the Dallas Cowboys, beating them 26-6 in the regular-season finale.

Howell was the starting quarterback for the Commanders in 2023, playing all 17 games in the season. As Washington’s starter, Howell made 21 touchdowns and an NFL-high 21 interceptions.

He was traded to Seattle last March, backing up Geno Smith, who did not miss any games that season. With little gameplay behind him with the Seahawks, having only played 14 passes, Howell was traded again to the Vikings in April.

Howell is currently in the last year of his four-year rookie contract worth over $4 million.

Final cuts for the 53-man rosters must be made by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Trades will continue as teams finalize the regular-season rosters.

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner lost $240,000 as the target of a banking fraud scheme, according to a search warrant affidavit. Police told the Star Tribune that the investigation identified “several suspects,” though only around $2,500 of the stolen money has been recovered.

Turner contacted police in April to report that he received a call from someone impersonating a banker at JP Morgan Chase. The caller claimed that someone was impersonating Turner’s identity at a Chase Bank branch in Arizona and told Turner that he had to wire money to two separate “LLCs” to avoid the theft attempt.

Turner transferred $120,000 to each of the two LLCs identified by the caller.

A Vikings spokesman said the team does not have a comment at this time about the scheme.

The team provides players with three fraud training sessions each year that include a combination of internal and external experts. The Vikings and the NFL also offer players, coaches and staff due diligence checks upon request when an individual is facing a questionable situation.

David Balderson, an attorney with Turner’s financial advising team, declined Tuesday to say anything about the scam on behalf of his client.

A former first-round pick out of Alabama, Turner is in the second year of his $15.76 million rookie contract with the Vikings. Turner received $8.28 million of that contract as a signing bonus and earned $750,000 as a first-year defender with Minnesota in 2024.

Though Turner did not register any starts as a rookie last season, he did appear in 16 games and finished his professional campaign with 20 total tackles, three for a loss and three sacks.

Minnesota Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has received a “multi-year contract extension” after three years as the Vikings’ GM.

This comes after Minnesota extended head coach Kevin O’Connell in January.

“Kwesi’s leadership, vision and collaboration with our coaching staff has positioned the Minnesota Vikings for sustained success,” Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf said in a statement. 

Since becoming the general manager, the Vikings have made the playoffs in two out of three seasons. In 2024, the Vikings went 14-3, their second-most wins in franchise history.

In 2023, Adofo-Mensah drafted Jordan Addison, who has become a young star second option behind Justin Jefferson. In 2024, he drafted J.J. McCarthy, who will be the starting quarterback in 2025.

The Vikings have been busy in free agency, signing players such as Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. They also resigned Aaron Jones and Byron Murphy.

Adofo-Mensah started his career with the San Francisco 49ers before becoming the vice president of football operations for the Cleveland Browns.

Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell have been a pair for three years. The Vikings hope the two can continue to bring success to the franchise.

The Atlanta Falcons have said they don’t have to trade Kirk Cousins. However, after just one season with the team in which he was benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr., a trade seems to be the most logical course of action.

The Falcons have privately had trade discussions with multiple teams. Atlanta has been asking teams to pay for $20 million of his $45 million guarantees. No team to this point has been willing.

Cousins signed a 4-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons in free agency last season. It was the largest contract signed in the free agency period. That’s a lot for any player, especially one who isn’t even starting.

There are some teams that could be in play for Cousins. The Cleveland Browns are viewed as the favorite to draft Cousins. ESPN reported that the Minnesota Vikings could be willing to reunite with Cousins for an asking price of $10 million instead of $20 million.

After signing Cousins to the massive contract last season, the Falcons drafted Penix with the eighth overall pick. Ideally, a trade would occur for Cousins following the draft so as not to get blindsided again. Trade partners for the Falcons will also become clearer if teams in the quarterback market target the position.

Cousins, despite a disappointing season overall, showed some flashes of why he was rewarded in free agency with a massive contract.

Cousins threw for 500 yards and four touchdowns on Thursday Night Football. He had two straight games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys, where he combined for seven touchdowns and no interceptions.

If Cousins can get back to playing at a high level, a quarterback-needy team could find a starter for the foreseeable future.

The Washington Commanders announced in February that they were allowing two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to seek a trade. When that didn’t materialize, they released him last week, saving them $16 million against the cap. Allen didn’t waste time, though: four days later, he signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings, who were a shocking first-round exit after going 14-3 in 2024, have one clear focus this offseason: linemen. Sam Darnold was sacked nine times in that Wild Card game versus the Los Angeles Rams, losing a total of 82 yards. With their likely starter being rookie J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota doesn’t want to risk being outbattled in the trenches again.

Allen will help with that.

He’s compiled 42 sacks and 401 tackles since his NFL debut in 2017, including a 9.0 sack season in 2021, which earned him his first Pro Bowl. Despite an untimely injury in 2024, he was able to return before the postseason and help drive the Commanders’ unlikely postseason push all the way to the NFC Championship game.

Allen’s release in Washington was largely precipitated by his cap hit, which clocked in at $22.3 million per year. His contract with the Vikings, however large, contains much less guaranteed money and a relatively low base salary – so much so that the tackle’s cap hit in 2025 is just under $6.5 million.

Allen also figures to be just one in a wave of acquisitions for the Vikings, which includes guard Will Fries and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who were signed to five- and two-year deals, respectively. In a division that became the best in football last season, boasting the first-seed Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, the Vikings have clearly committed to playing their best version of gritty football in 2025.

The Minnesota Vikings and safety Theo Jackson have agreed to a two-year, $12.6 million extension, his agent, Dan Saffron of Equity Sports tells uSports.

The signing reinforces a unit that might undergo major adjustments soon, setting Jackson up for a chance to earn a starting role.

Jackson, who was set to become a restricted free agent, is now under contract with the team through 2027 with full guarantees into 2026.

The Vikings made Jackson’s extension official but did not disclose the terms.

Jackson has primarily been a backup and special teams player over the last three seasons, but with both of the Vikings’ starting safeties – Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum – on expiring deals, his role could expand. Smith is weighing retirement, while Bynum is approaching unrestricted free agency.

The Vikings could also see their three starting cornerbacks from last season – Stephon Gilmore, Byron Murphy and Shaq Griffin – become free agents unless an extension is agreed upon before free agency begins.

While free agency officially kicks off on March 12, teams can begin negotiating with players as early as March 10.

Jackson was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and was initially placed on their practice squad. The Vikings claimed him off waivers later that season after their first-round pick, Lewis Cine, sustained a season-ending injury. He turned heads in the 2023 and 2024 training camps, but with Smith, Bynum and Josh Metellus ahead of him, opportunities to get on the field were limited.

In three seasons with the Vikings, Jackson has played 45 games, totaling over 900 special teams snaps and 222 on defense. He intercepted a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles in early 2023 and capped off a win over the Seattle Seahawks last year with his second career pick.

The Minnesota Vikings had a shockingly successful 2024 NFL season – at least relative to expectations – in large part due to the meteoric rise of quarterback Sam Darnold, a journeyman quarterback on a one-year deal. His presumptive price and the drafting of J.J. McCarthy, though, made Darnold remaining unlikely in the long-term. Now, following a Wild Card meltdown, it’s time for the Vikings to revive the quarterback question.

Darnold put up 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2024, with a passer rating of 102.5. He also effectively won the Vikings’ Wild Card matchup for the opposing Los Angeles Rams, spontaneously losing pocket awareness so thoroughly that he was sacked nine times. His QBR was 13.6.

Regardless of regular season performance, it’s difficult to justify retaining a quarterback who’s let the fans down in a moment of such spectacular hope.

As a contract seems increasingly unlikely, the next viable option for the Vikings would be a franchise tag – which would guarantee Darnold a bit over $40 million in 2025 and around $48.3 million for 2026 if he is tagged again. That number would eat up over two thirds of Minnesota’s cap space for 2025. While it would remain an option to trade Darnold under the tag, there’s no certainty of a deal. Unsurprisingly, there is reportedly “not much momentum” on the side of the franchise tag.

Meanwhile, with Matthew Stafford off the table, teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers are willing to pay a lot for a veteran quarterback. If Darnold hits free agency on March 12, he’ll have no shortage of suitors.

The Raiders and Giants are reportedly the most serious contenders, and that has a lot to do with desperation. If you watched football this season, you may remember that the Raiders split time between three backup-pedigree quarterbacks, while the Giants benched and then cut Daniel Jones, their former ‘quarterback of the future.”

The most likely scene is this: three or four teams each backed into their own corner, hoping Darnold will solve their QB worries. Darnold, who will take advantage of the high-pressure quarterback market to secure a deal for probably more than he’s worth.

And the Vikings? Well, star wideout Justin Jefferson isn’t worried about that.

“I’m not sure who the quarterback is going to be, and just like I said last year, it truly doesn’t matter personally to me,” Jefferson said. “It doesn’t matter who’s going to throw me that ball, I’m gonna make the most of my opportunities. I’m gonna try to make him look like the best quarterback in the whole NFL.”

Devastating wildfires in southern California may impact the NFL Playoffs this weekend, as the league is closely monitoring developments in the area ahead of a Wild Card matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings. If the natural disaster proves to be a credible threat to public safety, the league could move the game from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 

“The NFL’s priority is the safety of the Los Angeles community. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of the first responders. Our hearts are with Los Angeles and everyone affected by the fires,” the league said in a statement Wednesday. “We continue to prepare to play the Vikings-Rams game as scheduled Monday night at SoFi Stadium.”

The league did not specify what would be necessary for the playoff game to be relocated, but the contingency plan to move it to Glendale will be set in motion “in the event a change in location is needed.”

The first wildfire began in the Palisades on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and is still raging, covering more than 17,000 acres of land and destroying thousands of structures to this point. Authorities have not yet been able to contain the fire in any capacity. At least four smaller wildfires have spread to surrounding areas, forcing more than 125,000 people to evacuate throughout the city.

Based in Inglewood, SoFi Stadium is located about 10 miles south of the current impacted areas, but powerful winds could spread the fires further. This is not the only obstacle the league must overcome to host its playoff game as planned. Air quality is also a serious issue to consider, as players and fans alike may have to face adverse conditions regardless of damage in the area if the fires are not contained by Monday. 

Several Rams players have issued statements to support Los Angeles residents and vow to assist in the recovery effort. Anna Kupp, wife of star wide receiver Cooper Kupp, said that the family’s home was still safe and offered prayers for those impacted.

“Our hearts are so heavy,” Anna Kupp said. “Cooper and I are currently looking into ways we can help those who have been affected by this tragedy. Until then, we continue to pray for peace and safekeeping over the families who have suffered so much already, prayer for our heroes actively fighting these fires, and prayer for the winds to subside and the land to heal. We love you LA.”

In 2003, the NFL had to relocate a playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins to Tempe, Arizona, because of wildfires. Competing in a neutral location, the Chargers lost 26-10. They have since relocated to Los Angeles, and reportedly altered their practice schedule this week due to air quality concerns as they prepare for their own playoff game in Houston on Saturday.

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Daniel Jones started the season as the starting quarterback for the New York Giants in the second year of a four-year, $160 million contract. The Giants benched and then cut him after a thoroughly underwhelming 2-8 start. Soon after, the Minnesota Vikings signed him to their practice squad.

A month later, before their biggest game of the season, they were considering moving him up the depth chart.

The Vikings played the Detroit Lions in Week 18, continuing a divisional rivalry with both teams sitting at an unprecedented 14-2. The Lions handed the Vikings their first loss of the season back in October by just two points. The winner, the Lions, got the NFC first seed and a bye week; the Vikings are relegated to the fifth seed.

While Sam Darnold remains the undisputed starting quarterback, the lineup behind him is less certain. Nick Mullens backs him up, while Brett Rypien is currently the third-string.

Mullens has the advantage in experience, having spent the last three years in Minnesota under head coach Kevin O’Connell. It is arguable, though, that Jones has more raw talent, and O’Connell certainly seems to believe that he has more to give than he’s shown this season.

“We’re gonna have some dialogue about that as far as the timing of it,” O’Connell told reporters last week. “Daniel has been quietly behind the scenes putting in some phenomenal work.”

“I’m probably more excited — as I told him the other day — more excited now than even as excited as I was to get him in here day one, just by what he’s shown us already. So that’s definitely something we’re gonna talk about. I feel so fortunate to have, with [J.J. McCarthy] really back full speed in those meetings. I mean, you walk in there, you got five NFL quarterbacks sitting there.”

Given the Vikings’ logjam at quarterback, particularly between Darnold and first-rounder JJ McCarthy, who has been sidelined this season with a torn meniscus, it seems unlikely that Jones will stay with the team. His camp and Minnesota, though, reportedly have “mutual interest,” and promoting Jones should positively impact whether he stays or leaves.

Specifically, adding Jones to the active roster could have set Minnesota up for a compensatory pick if he signs with another team in the offseason. Since they’re not anticipating backup quarterback usage, regardless of Jones’ talent, the move should be a no-brainer.

However, after the loss to the Lions, O’Connell did not move to elevate Jones. Go figure.

The Minnesota Vikings signed quarterback Daniel Jones on Wednesday. Jones was released by the New York Giants on Nov. 22 after nearly six seasons as the team’s struggling starter.

Taken with the sixth-overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Jones was supposed to be the franchise quarterback for a Giants team looking to replace two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning. At times, he showed decent ability and even led the team to a playoff victory in 2022. 

In 2023, he signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the team, having restored hope in the team’s future the previous season. He sustained a string of injuries soon after, however, and piloted the team to a 2-8 record in 2024. After getting benched for Tommy DeVito, Jones requested his release and appeared to leave the Giants on friendly terms.

“Daniel came to see me this morning and asked if we would release him,” Giants President John Mara said in a statement after the release. “We mutually agreed that would be best for him and for the team. Daniel has been a great representative of our organization, first class in every way. His handling of this situation yesterday exemplifies just that. We are all disappointed in how things have worked out. We hold Daniel in high regard and have a great appreciation for him. We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

Shortly before his Giants release, Jones read a letter at a press conference reflecting on his time with the team. In it, he summarized his career in New York, one that had its bright moments overshadowed by long stretches of adversity.

“There have been some great times, but of course, we all wish there had been more of those,” Jones said. “I take full responsibility for my part in not bringing more wins. No one wanted to win more games worse than me, and I gave everything I had on the field and in my preparation. Of course, this season has been disappointing for all, and of course, I wish I could’ve done more. I’m 100% accountable for my part. I did not play well enough, consistently enough, to help the team get the results.”

Because of his previous success and reputation as a positive team player, Jones was always going to land on another team. Some speculated that he might end up on the Cowboys, predicting that owner Jerry Jones would sign him out of spite. In the end, the Vikings made the far more reasonable move. Jones will be a serviceable backup behind Sam Darnold and could even remain with the team when J.J. McCarthy returns from injury next season.

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With Aidan Hutchinson being placed on injured reserve due to a tibia and fibula fracture that takes 4-6 months to heal, the Detroit Lions filled his roster spot on Tuesday.

The Lions signed defensive end Isaiah Thomas off the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad. Thomas, who played college football at Oklahoma, was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He played in ten games his rookie year, and in the off-season, he stayed in the division and went to the Bengals. He has not recorded a stat during the 2023 or 2024 season, but the Lions hope to tap into his potential, as he stands 6’5’’ and weighs 266 pounds.

The Lions are incredibly thin at defensive end, with Marcus Davenport also on IR, a player they hoped would rush opposite to Hutchinson. Detroit will be counting on Josh Paschal, their second-round draft pick in 2022, to fill in for the missing pieces and breakout. However, Paschal has not yet recorded a sack through three seasons in his NFL career.

Even with the injury concerns, Dan Campbell did not say his team needed to make a trade on Monday and believes in the talent on their roster.

“Yeah. I mean, listen, my job is to coach what’s here, and I’m going to coach the hell out of them, and we are as a staff. And so, yeah, I do (think we can win with what we have). And if we get somebody, great. If we don’t, these are our guys. And the coaches know that. This is what we came into camp with; this is why we develop talent, and it’s next man up, and they’ve got to be ready to go.”

The Lions will play the Minnesota Vikings on the road this week in an in-division matchup between one-loss teams. ESPN Bet currently lists Detroit as a 2.5-point underdog.

The New York Jets reverted to the mean in Sunday’s disappointing loss to the Denver Broncos, whose quarterback only threw for 60 yards. The offense did not score a touchdown for just the fifth time in quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ career, and the noise inside and outside the locker room grows noisier by the day.

Former offensive rookie of the year wide receiver Garrett Wilson gave his opinion on the play-calling this week, stating, “I don’t think we do a lot of different stuff, to be honest,” Wilson said of the team’s offense. “When I watch football on Sundays, I see a lot of teams who mix it up and stuff like that. I don’t feel like we do that. I think we know our identity. It’s just about going out and executing it or figuring out if it’s going to work.”

However, Rodgers took some blame after the loss, saying, “The weather sucked, but so did some of my throws.”

The 40-year-old quarterback does not seem fully healthy. He seemed to pick up a knock on Sunday, as he only did individual drills during Jets practice on Wednesday. Long-time NFL veteran Tyrod Taylor is the Jets backup QB.

However, Rodgers knows that health does not excuse the offense’s terrible performance against Denver. The Jets only put up 248 yards of total offense on 70 snaps, good for 3.5 yards per play. They only recorded 16 first downs and turned the ball over, leading to an inefficient afternoon. Coming into the game, Gang Green was an 8.5 favorite, according to ESPN Bet, as they looked like playoff contenders in their blowout win against the New England Patriots the week before.

New York’s schedule does not get any easier as they cross the pond for a contest in England against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. Currently, the Vikings are listed as 2.5-point favorites.