Latest news with #MinnesotaVikings
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Jalen Ramsey and the current state of the Vikings at cornerback
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings brass, defensive coordinator Brian Flores, his staff and players want opposing teams to see their logo on the schedule and sense an oncoming headache. It hasn't been enough for Flores' defense to bring an all-out blitz, then fake the all-out blitz. It hasn't been enough to play one nontraditional coverage on the back end; the Vikings have introduced dozens of them. More is planned, and the next iteration remains anyone's guess. Advertisement Just listen to defensive tackle Harrison Phillips' comments Monday after another OTA practice. 'We would like to have so many different bullets in the chamber,' he said. 'Vastly different fronts, vastly different coverages. Are we going to move and bring everybody? Are we not going to move and bring everybody?' Phillips mentioned personnel additions like defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. He talked about the development of Dallas Turner. You could tell how excited he was to talk about the defensive front, and still, it felt fair to wonder: But what about the secondary (specifically, the cornerback spot)? To this point, none of the Vikings' actions suggests they're concerned. They prioritized re-signing Byron Murphy Jr. in free agency and targeted Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah. Coach Kevin O'Connell even referenced Flores' rosy evaluation of Rodgers in March at the NFL league meetings. Flores and the Vikings' personnel department have not missed when identifying free-agent talent over the past couple of seasons. Still, this level of conviction in two journeyman players is notable, especially as the pool of potential contributors continues to dry up. This is the time to get ahead and take our team to another level.#Skol — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 2, 2025 One big fish is still out there, and he's down in Miami. Multiple Vikings staffers are familiar with Jalen Ramsey. O'Connell coordinated the Los Angeles Rams offense in 2021, when Ramsey last earned All-Pro honors. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, edge rushers coach Thad Bogardus, defensive line coach Marcus Dixon and vice president of player health and performance Tyler Williams spent time with Ramsey on that Rams staff. But there's some risk involved. Ramsey will turn 31 in October. Acquiring him might require trading draft capital the Vikings have wanted to accumulate after parting with several picks the last couple of seasons. Advertisement There are two other considerations. First, Ramsey's current contract could leave the Vikings in a precarious position for 2026. The amount of money Miami might be willing to absorb in a potential trade would matter. Second, bringing Ramsey into the fold would impede the path to playing time for youngsters like Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern. Minnesota is spending more than $357 million on the 2025 roster, which is the most in the NFL. This isn't a Super Bowl-or-bust situation, but the Vikings are unquestionably committed to winning in the short term. If Ramsey or any other available cornerback maximizes those chances, you can bet there has been an internal conversation about it. Then again, maybe the Vikings' key decision-makers feel the same way Blackmon does about the present state of the cornerback position. 'We got a real good room,' Blackmon said Monday. 'I see a lot of stuff on Twitter. Y'all know. A lot of people are concerned about our room. I would say we have a real good room.' Gleaning anything meaningful from organized team activities is difficult, but certain sequences stand out. One of them Monday involved Rodgers, who floated across the field with receiver Jordan Addison toward the left sideline. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy attempted a layered pass in Addison's direction, but Rodgers undercut the throw and secured the interception. Many of Rodgers' teammates hooted and hollered, and Rodgers celebrated as he raced the other way. O'Connell stepped in next to McCarthy for what appeared to be a brief teaching moment — or to compliment McCarthy for his willingness to try that type of pass in a learning setting. Whatever the case, Rodgers displayed the kind of athleticism and ball skills the Vikings coveted. They would not say it publicly if this were the case, but the Vikings staff could also think highly enough of their pass rush to skate by without further investment at cornerback. It's not just Allen and Hargrave joining the fold. It's the types of stunts and games the Vikings can implement in another season with Flores. Opposing teams got rid of the ball against the Vikings at one of the quickest rates in the league last season. Improve the pass rush, and the Vikings might view their countless zone coverages (with man changeups) as enough. Advertisement Minnesota could also try to entice teams to run the ball more often. The fewer times the ball is in the air, the fewer times its cornerbacks need to cover. Does it sound like the strategy hinges more on hope than reason? What if, you might be wondering, Murphy or Rodgers suffers an injury? Would the Vikings be OK relying on Okudah, Blackmon or McGlothern full-time? If not, wouldn't it make more sense for the Vikings to act on a player of Ramsey's caliber now, rather than wait for veteran options like they did last fall? This is the push-pull. These are questions that might be worth revisiting down the road. Get creative for Ramsey, and it would affect the team's future flexibility. Pass on a defensive back with as versatile a skill set as he has, and who's to say this won't be one of the sliding doors that shape what could have been? Any potential move will depend on whether the Vikings' decision-makers believe what Blackmon does. Nothing they've done thus far would indicate otherwise.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Madden NFL 26 cover: Saquon Barkley joins list of NFL players on Madden video game cover
The Madden video game has been entertaining football and video game fans since the first edition of the game was released in 1988. The latest edition, Madden NFL 26, is set to be released on Aug. 14, 2025. The latest athlete on the cover for the game? The Philadelphia Eagles' Saquon Barkley is set to grace the cover of the 2026 edition, EA Sports, the maker of the game, announced, joining a long line of Madden cover athletes. The image of Barkley will be of his famous backwards hurdle from last season. Madden started putting athletes on the cover in 2001, with Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George getting the honor on the Madden NFL 2001 cover. This will be the second straight version of the game with a running back on the cover after the San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey was on the cover of Madden NFL 2025. 2001: Eddie George, RB, Tennessee Titans 2002: Daunte Culpepper, QB, Minnesota Vikings 2003: Marshall Faulk, RB, St. Louis Rams 2004: Michael Vick, QB, Atlanta Falcons 2005: Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore Ravens 2006: Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia Eagles 2007: Shaun Alexander, RB, Seattle Seahawks 2008: Vince Young, QB, Tennessee Titans 2009: Brett Favre, QB, Green Bay Packers 2010: Troy Polamalu, S, Pittsburgh Steelers and Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals 2011: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints 2012: Peyton Hillis, RB, Cleveland Browns 2013: Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions 2014: Barry Sanders, RB, Detroit Lions 2014: Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings 2015: Richard Sherman, CB, Seattle Seahawks 2016: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants 2017: Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots 2018: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots 2019: Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers 2020: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs 2021: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens 2022: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs and Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2023: John Madden, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach 2024: Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills 2025: Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers 2026: Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles The only Cardinals player to get on the cover while he was playing for Arizona was WR Larry Fitzgerald, who shared the cover with Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu in 2010. Reach Jeremy Cluff at Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff. Support local journalism: Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Madden NFL game covers through the years: Saquon Barkley joins list
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
This 97-yard kick return TD from Michael Lewis is the Saints Play of the Day
This 97-yard kick return TD from Michael Lewis is the Saints Play of the Day We're continuing our countdown to the New Orleans Saints' 2025 season opener by spinning the clocks back to 2002, when Saints legend Michael Lewis rallied the team with a 97-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown, which you can see here. Facing a 14-3 deficit late in the first quarter, the Saints needed a spark, and Lewis gave it to them. Lewis took off with four blockers in front of him deep inside Saints territory, then cut out into the open field where none of the Minnesota Vikings in pursuit could catch him. The game turned into a dogfight in the second half but a couple of Randy Moss touchdown catches kept the win out of reach for New Orleans. Still, this was an electrifying moment in Lewis' career. It was the first of three kick return touchdowns he would achieve in a Saints uniform, and it went a long way in helping him earn All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition back in 2002. By the time he hung up his cleats, "the Beer Man," owing to his day job on a delivery truck before pro football worked out, set new Saints records for career yards on punt returns (1,482) and kick returns (5,903). Stay tuned for more of his highlights as we work further into this countdown.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Preseason game between Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings will be nationally televised
The NFL announced Thursday that five preseason games will be nationally televised in 2025, and, surprisingly, the final one on the schedule will feature the Tennessee Titans. In Week 3, the Tennessee Titans will host the Minnesota Vikings at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will be played under the lights and broadcast on CBS at 8:00 p.m. ET on Friday, August 22. After being shut out of the primetime schedule on the 2025 NFL regular season schedule, the league decided to spotlight the Titans on the final Friday of the preseason. The biggest question is, will Cam Ward see much action? The final week of the preseason is usually reserved for those fighting for roster spots, but in 2024, the Titans game-planned for the preseason finale and played most of their starters for an extended stretch. Advertisement This presents an interesting situation for head coach Brian Callahan, who will have to weigh several factors. With Ward being a rookie, he will need as many reps as possible before traveling to Denver for the season opener. But what other offensive starters should play with him, and for how long? Luckily, the Vikings will also likely have a young, inexperienced quarterback under center in J.J. McCarthy, making this an intriguing battle. This may also be the only time the national television audience will have the opportunity to see Ward in action. After the lack of coverage on Ward and the Titans throughout the offseason, Callahan might want to send a message that the Titans deserve more coverage. This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Preseason game between Titans and Vikings will be nationally televised
Time of India
4 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Vikings sign extension with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah while fans still wait for results
Vikings sign extension with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah while fans still wait for results (Image Source: Getty Images) The Minnesota Vikings are keeping their general manager. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has signed a contract extension. He will stay and help lead the team for more years. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is happy to continue working with the people in the building. He wants to keep building a strong team. He believes the Vikings can do great things in the future. Future Vikings under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah are quite optimistic Following the news, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wrote a note. "I'm incredibly excited to work with this group of talented people as we continue to push the boundaries of what this franchise can achieve," he remarked. This indicates he views the group's potential for development. Three years back, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah ascended to general manager. He thinks deeply before making choices. He uses numbers and facts to help build the team. He works closely with the coaches and owners. His goal is to make the Vikings strong every year. Also Read: NFL London 2025: How To Purchase Tickets For Cleveland Browns Vs Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets Vs Denver Broncos, And More Vikings fans hope for success with new plan Since joining, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has made bold moves. He has picked new players in the draft. He has also made trades and signed free agents. He is not afraid to try new things. The team is getting younger and faster. Vikings fans now hope for wins. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo They want a team that plays hard and reaches the playoffs. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's plan is not just for one year. He wants the team to stay good for many years. The owners believe in him. That's why they gave him more time to lead. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is staying with the Vikings. He signed a new deal to remain the general manager. He is excited to keep building the team. He believes in the people around him. His goal is to help the Vikings win big. Since 2022, he has made smart moves. He uses data and teamwork to lead. Now, fans are hoping for playoff runs and a strong future. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has a clear plan. And the Vikings are ready to follow it.
