Breaking: Vikings select tight end Gavin Bartholomew in sixth round
Breaking: Vikings select tight end Gavin Bartholomew in sixth round
The Minnesota Vikings have been known for collecting and using a variety of tight ends on their roster, so what's one more?
The Minnesota Vikings selected Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday. The former Panther played a dual role in their offense in college, where he had been in mostly blocking assignments his first couple of college seasons before the team had quarterback Eli Holstein emerge in 2024, and so did his receiving chops.
Bartholomew isn't a great route runner; he won't wow you with his movement skills, but he runs hard and has strong hands. Because of that, he is going to find the field early in his career with the Vikings.
The team lost Johnny Mundt in free agency, I fully expect him to earn that role by the end of training camp and be a good piece of the offense for J.J. McCarthy and company.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
J.J. McCarthy minicamp reps may not induce headlines — but that's OK (and intentional)
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McCarthy is a popular talking point in the NFL universe. There is a reason he is deserving of space right here. His burden is large. These Vikings, built to go further than was realistically possible in years past, will succeed or fail with the youngster. Kelly understands that. 'I think that's also why I'm here,' he said. He's right. Kelly's presence is just one of the countless steps taken by coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to maximize what's possible. It's not that former Vikings center Garrett Bradbury didn't have experience, especially within Minnesota's system. Kelly, though, is both a better player and a key cog who has worked with different quarterback personalities, skill sets and experience levels. Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Anthony Richardson and others require varying degrees of assistance. One might suspect Kelly would be spending these practices passing tidbits to McCarthy. He's not. This, too, is calculated. Why make things easy when there is no report card? Why not challenge McCarthy to assess all of the potential defensive looks? Why not evaluate what it looks like when he has to take everything in, then spit out play calls with lengthy verbiage? Why not ask him to adjust protections and try to get the offense into the right play? Advertisement Why remove an aspect of traditional development simply because you have a center who can serve as a backstop? 'If you never have to do all of this,' Kelly said, 'you're looking through it like a tiny lens. In order to see the full picture, you have to have coaches who demand that of you. His development to understand is more important than me showing how capable I am. We want to push this guy, and he's responded incredibly well. He's a very smart guy.' The extent of the demands is partially why O'Connell scoffs at those who track McCarthy's results on days like these. 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Can you visualize the defense's structure and pull the trigger at the right time? Can you do it with 300-pound men bearing down on you in 2 1/2 seconds? There is also the psychological piece. Navigating real-world stressors and in-game trials calls for a sense of calm. Advertisement Each piece affects the other. Sounds easy, right? 'I think (J.J.) is right where he needs to be right now,' offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said Wednesday. 'And right where we thought he'd be. I don't think he'd come up here and say he mastered the offense. Every rep is a learning rep.' Every one of these days is an integral learning day, as cliched as that sounds, or as mundane as it looks. Although the Vikings shifted from organized team activities last week to minicamp this week, the speed of the drills remained the same. McCarthy has not taken one snap in an 11-on-11 setting with defensive coordinator Brian Flores' pass rush coming at him with its collective hair on fire. That doesn't mean Kelly, offensive line coach Chris Kuper, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and O'Connell aren't conferring after practice about the next test they think would be valuable for McCarthy. That doesn't mean these opportunities aren't the ones that will allow all of the pieces of the puzzle to come together as smoothly as possible when it matters most.
Yahoo
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Rodgers marks first day with Steelers by revealing secret wedding
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
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T.J. Watt Bracing For Punishment From NFL Before 2025 Season
T.J. Watt Bracing For Punishment From NFL Before 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have a lot to be excited about going into the 2025 NFL season after bringing in former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Advertisement While Rodgers may have been in attendance to start Pittsburgh's mandatory minicamp (June 10-12) on Tuesday, star pass rusher T.J. Watt was not. Watt, a six-time All-Pro, has one year left on his four-year, $112 million deal and is seeking an extension with the Steelers. While he awaits a new contract, he has chosen to sit out of mandatory minicamp, missing both Tuesday and Wednesday's sessions. While Watt is seeking more money during his holdout, he'll likely have to spend some, too, as a consequence. Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. WattBrett Davis-Imagn Images According to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, a player who misses one day of training camp is subject to a fine of $17,462. Missing a second day of minicamp will lead to a separate fine of $34,925, and missing a third will cost $52,381. Advertisement Watt has already missed two days of training camp, leaving his current fine at $52,387. If he does miss the final day of minicamp on Thursday, his total fine amount would end up at $104,768. Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson is also another notable minicamp holdout, and he will likely be fined the same amount as Watt. During his eighth season with the Steelers (2024), Watt continued to play at a high level. The former Wisconsin Badgers standout recorded 61 tackles, 11.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and two recoveries. Pittsburgh will open up the 2025 NFL season on Sunday, September 7, facing Rodgers' former team, the Jets, in New York City. Advertisement Related: Browns Coach Sends Clear Message on Shedeur Sanders First-Team Decision This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
