J.J. McCarthy was a Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pick. Now gone, Adofo-Mensah can no longer insist on rolling with the young fella. So says Cris Carter, at least in the retelling from within a recent interview.

A few days ago, Kevin O’Connell chatted for about half an hour with Dan Barreiro of KFAN. Berreiro really does a nice job as an interlocutor, asking reasonably tough questions but doing so in a manner that’s curious rather than accusative. At one point, he passed along the Carter comment to ask for O’Connell’s response.

Carter’s “sources indicate to him,” the interviewer suggests, that Adofo-Mensah was the main person behind the McCarthy selection.

O’Connell’s response: “Yeah, I can’t really speak to his sources. I will just say this, Dan, it was a time and place in this organization where there was a lot of momentum — from me included — to draft a quarterback […] I wanted the same thing happening now, then. I wanted a competitive daily situation.” In O’Connell’s retelling, there would have been a battle between McCarthy and Sam Darnold.

At the risk of misinterpreting, O’Connell appears to be saying that the issue isn’t rolling with McCarthy but, rather, that McCarthy has been hurt so often. O’Connell then clarified that what has changed is “10 football games in three years.”

Kevin O’Connell, Cris Carter, & The Status of J.J. McCarthy

What’s O’Connell supposed to say?

In theory, the skipper could have shifted all of the blame to his former colleague, but that would have been remarkably stupid. After all, O’Connell has done quite a lot of talking about the young passer since McCarthy was scooped up at No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Over on Sports Illustrated, Will Ragatz has passed along a lot of the coach’s enthusiasm following the brutal injury in the summer of 2024.

Consider one bold claim: “As excited as I was to draft him, he’s confirmed everything that I hoped to see. Our fan base and everyone should be excited about the fact that we’ve got our young franchise quarterback in the building.”

— READ MORE: Vikings Owner Says “Patience Isn’t Infinite —
— READ MORE: Recapping the Vikings’ Injury Concerns at Training Camp —

Calling Mr. McCarthy a franchise quarterback is bold. Hard to walk that one back, right? Note, as well, that the comment confirming McCarthy as the franchise passer came after expressing enthusiasm about drafting him. A couple of years later, O’Connell is being pressed on his desire to have added McCarthy in the first place.

Consider, as well, the comments that O’Connell made about the role that franchises play in a young arm’s development. Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports helpfully passes along that quote: “I just think as a whole, there’s not enough emphasis put on the organization’s role in the development of the position, meaning I believe that organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations.”

Maybe unsurprisingly, a lot has been said on the matter. Some of that can be brought back to Kevin O’Connell as an individual but then there’s plenty of broader chatter.

Per Carter (but via the KFAN interview), the former GM wanted J.J. McCarthy. Let’s assume that’s true. After all, there’s been no shortage of chatter about Kevin O’Connell really wanting Drake Maye.

Since then, O’Connell has said quite a lot.

Calling McCarthy the franchise quarterback before then taking aim at the NFL’s franchises more broadly for failing young fellas means that O’Connell is invested in this thing. He is, after all, the quarterback whisperer, the one who is supposed to get it since he was an NFL passer before turning into a quarterback coach (and then rising up from there).

What’s odd, as well, is that Minnesota didn’t have a true quarterback competition last year. Sam Howell got brought to town to throw the pigskin alongside Brett Rypien and Max Brosmer. None of these three got anywhere close to threatening the top quarterback job.

In fairness, the Vikings did want Daniel Jones, as Adofo-Mensah later admitted to the media. But then there was the refusal to add anybody in free agency. Most notably, Aaron Rodgers wanted to come to the Twin Cities but the team decided not to do so.

Did Kevin O’Connell sign off on all of these decisions and indecisions?

Later today, the Vikings will continue working through a quarterback competition. Most expect that Kyler Murray will become the QB1 before long. J.J. McCarthy, regardless of who was the main person pushing for him, will look to overcome tough odds.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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PurplePTSD works in partnership with Vikings Territory, similarly doing their utmost to offer top-notch coverage of the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, we’re promoting five of their top articles of the past month in “The P/PTSD Perspective.” Take a peek at some of their best stuff.

The P/PTSD Perspective: August 8th, 2026

1) Demond Claiborne Concern Raises After Day 1 of Vikings Training Camp: Few are as fast. In fact, Demond Claiborne is so speedy that Aaron Jones likened the rookie to Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs. Recent updates have been a bit more concerning, though, with drops being the main culprit.

2) Vikings Announce Roster Moves After Day 1 of Training Camp: A roster is an evolving thing. GM Nolan Teasley hasn’t done too much but has sent some guys packing while bringing new talent to town. Many are wondering if there will be an eyebrow-raising deal before too long.

3) J.J. McCarthy’s Day 1 Reviews are In, and They Aren’t Good: Give the kid time. His career hasn’t been flawless. Another reality is that he has faced a pile of issues, injury foremost among them. At the very least, let the Vikings get to the preseason to start making firmer judgments for who is performing better.

4) Baker Mayfield Has Entered the Vikings Rumor Mill: To my eye, Mr. Mayfield does well when he’s underestimated. He responds well to having a chip on his shoulder. Can he continue being a great passer when he’s entrenched and a well-paid QB1?

5) Vikings 2026 Draft Class is Giving Reason for Excitement: At this stage, seeing a draft class shine early on would feel like finding an oasis in the desert. Minnesota has been parched. Does the cluster of young fellas consisting of Caleb Banks, Jake Golday, and several others make a difference from Week 1 onward?

Enjoy the extra reading, Vikings fans.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Aaron McKenna is the IBF middleweight champion of the world. McKenna outclassed Etinosa Oliha over 12 rounds in the Zuffa Boxing 10 main event in Dublin, earning a wide decision and capturing the vacant championship in front of his hometown Irish fans.

Oliha’s speed advantage was clear in the early rounds, as he was able to pop off a good jab despite McKenna’s reach advantage, and used that jab to set up some heavy right hands. McKenna was able to fire back capably, however, and the opening rounds were close as a result.

McKenna appeared to find his flow around the third round, getting his own long jab going and connecting with more clean shots as Oliha struggled to find his own desired space and timing. Oliha wanted an inside fight, but McKenna was able to clinch and crowd when the fighters did come close.

McKenna’s surprising ability to meet Oliha’s physicality seemed to throw Oliha off of his game plan. McKenna was able to push Oliha around the ring and even get his back to the ropes, with those moments coming more frequently as the fight wore on.

Things never really changed from that point, with McKenna dominating at pretty much every distance and Oliha unable to do much offensively no matter how willing he was to try.

After 12 rounds of action, the official scorecards read 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112, all for McKenna.

The win marked the first time McKenna has held a world championship, though he may have been slightly outshined by his brother, Stevie, who scored a big knockout on the prelims.

Callum Walsh survives knockdown, coasts to decision victory

Most observers were expecting a fairly easy fight for Callum Walsh in the co-feature as he took on Tyler Denny, a fighter who entered the ring with a 21-4-3 record and just one career win by knockout. Despite the favorable circumstances for the rising Irish star, he hit a bit of a speed bump in the opening round.

After largely controlling the action in the opening frame, Walsh bent at the waist and stopped fighting, seemingly waiting for the referee to intervene after Denny had pushed him down with his forearm. Instead, Denny let a barrage of punches fly, tagging Walsh until Walsh reached down and touched the canvas, making for an official knockdown.

Walsh was not badly affected by the situation and came right back to score a big knockdown off a counter shot in Round 2.

Walsh was able to mostly remain in control from that point, though he never came close to scoring the stoppage. In fact, the fight was a pretty ugly one, falling into a pattern of constant holding in between jabs.

The holding led to point deductions for both men in Round 8, a round that also saw Walsh cut around the left eye after an accidental clash of heads.

At the end of a fight that never lived up to the excitement of the first two rounds, Walsh was awarded the win on the official judges’ scorecards by scores of 98-91, 98-91 and 96-90.

It’s unclear where Walsh, Zuffa Boxing’s first “big signing” and a long-time project of Dana White, will go after the victory. It’s natural to think he would be matched with McKenna in an all-Irish title showdown of Zuffa fighters, but it’s also natural to think his performance against a lower-caliber opponent like Denny may show that he’s not quite at the championship level at this point in his career.

Jaja Santiago will no longer be Creamline’s problem. —PVL IMAGES

The last time Jaja Santiago played in the Premier Volleyball League, the towering middle blocker was nearly unstoppable.

Santiago emerged as Conference and Finals MVP and tormented Creamline in an epic Game 3 as Chery Tiggo became the league’s first professional champion inside the Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, bubble in 2021.

Five years later, Santiago is returning to the PVL—and this time, she will be wearing Creamline colors.

The longtime Japan SV.League player, who is headed to the United States to play for San Francisco Signal in League One Volleyball (LOVB), will reinforce the Cool Smashers for a limited stint in the PVL Invitational Conference.

For Creamline coach Sherwin Meneses, that means one less towering problem to solve.

“Thank you, Jaja. That’s all I can say!” Meneses told the Inquirer in Filipino, laughing.

Meneses was an assistant to Tai Bundit when Santiago helped Chery Tiggo dethrone Creamline in 2021. Now the league’s most successful coach with eight championships, Meneses finally gets the 6-foot-5 Filipino international on his side.

“Jaja is already at a very high level, so we don’t have to worry about her height anymore because she’s on our side now.”

Santiago’s arrival naturally raises expectations, pairing arguably the country’s top homegrown volleyball talent with the PVL’s most successful club.

“Of course, the expectations are high, especially knowing that Jaja is now playing with Creamline. Everyone is really excited to see what we can do together,” Meneses said.

“For now, we’re really working on integrating Jaja into the Creamline system and making sure she understands how we play,” he added. “She’ll definitely be a big help to our team. Her skills and experience will be very valuable. Hopefully, even in a short amount of time, we can build better chemistry both on and off the court.”

A two-time Japan SV.League Best Blocker who won a championship with Osaka Marvelous in the 2024-’25 season, Santiago strengthens an already loaded Creamline roster bannered by Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, Michele Gumabao, Kyle Negrito and Kyla Atienza.

She is also expected to form one of the league’s most formidable frontlines alongside Pangs Panaga and Bea De Leon. INQ

Since getting scooped up as an undrafted talent, CB Dwight McGlothern has inspired intrigue among fan and coach like. After all, the young fella has lived on the roster as a depth option for two-straight seasons.

The odd part is that Minnesota has put great effort into ensuring he doesn’t get onto the field.

Soon enough, that Vikings mystery needs to arrive at some form of an answer. Can McGlothern be trusted to earn playing time? If not, then why is he demanding a spot on the final roster? He doesn’t help on specials, meaning he has been occupying a coveted roster spot without doing a ton in games. Presumably, the 2026 season won’t involve a similar setup. Indeed, the upcoming season appears to be the one where the UDFA success story needs to prove capable of actually playing football on Sunday.

The Dwight McGlothern Vikings Mystery Will Get Answered Soon

Back in 2024, it was pretty easy to explain the modest playing time due to the in-house corner depth.

Sitting atop the corner cluster was Byron Murphy Jr. He was being supported by veterans Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin. Next up was Fabian Moreau, who was quietly sturdy in his time in Minnesota. In that particular context, McGlothern’s near non-existent job was sensible and to be expected. Moreover, the in-house safety talent was demanding a good workload, further depleting the available snaps for the kid corner.

The 2024 season was easy to understand, but he then got kept around in 2025. That’s the year when things got odd.

The Vikings went through a modest reset at corner. Neither of Griffin nor Gilmore were brought back. Instead, the pivot was toward Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah, both of whom were firmly within their prime.

Rodgers, for the most part, played sturdy football. Meanwhile, Okudah couldn’t overcome the issues that have hindered his career. He played poorly and then needed to take time away to get healthy.

The Vikings therefore had to find a third corner. Sitting at CB4 was Dwight McGlothern, who again got onto the final roster. The obvious move would be to feature the young coverage player but Brian Flores & Co. instead bumped up the veteran Moreau from the practice squad, bypassing the roster’s built-in option.

In two seasons (mostly) on the roster, Dwight McGlothern has played 19 snaps on defense and then 31 snaps on defense. He has just 17 snaps and then 20 snaps on specials, so it’s not as if he’s crushing things as a gunner.

Known by the nickname “Nudie,” McGlothern appears to be well-liked among coaches and teammates. He has proven capable of overcoming long odds by getting onto the team. What has been so bizarre, though, has been the team’s unwillingness to give him any on-field work despite making the effort to retain his services.

Keeping the 24-year-old corner suggests that Minnesota hasn’t wanted to lose him. He can’t get poached from the practice squad if he isn’t shuffled down to the practice squad. But, strangely, the team has then avoided playing him, suggesting there’s not huge trust in his ability to play sturdy ball.

McGlothern stands at 6’2″ and weighs 185 pounds. He’s facing increased competition from guys such as Chuck Demmings and Zemaiah Vaughn to make the final team.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

A former Nebraska running back entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Roger Craig is the sixth former Nebraska player to be named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The former Husker spent 11 seasons in the NFL, nine of them with the San Fransico 49ers. He was a three-time Super Bowl champion in San Fransico with four Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro selection in 1988. The former Husker is also a member of the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team and the 49ers Hall of Fame.

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Craig was also the first player to have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season (1985). The Davenport, Iowa, native played at Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. During his time with the Huskers, he ran for 2,446 yards and 26 touchdowns. He was a second-round selection in the 1983 draft.

Craig did not deliver his speech from the podium and delivered a videotaped speech. In that speech, he announced that he had been diagnosed with vascular dementia, a condition that leads to cognitive decline and memory loss.

“I want people to know this diagnosis doesn’t define me. I am still Roger Craig. I am still a father, a husband, a teammate, a friend and someone who loves football and the people who brought it to my life. Football gave me everything: opportunity, discipline, lifelong friends and the platform to grow as a man.”

The former Husker is joined in the 2026 Hall of Fame class by Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, and Adam Vinatieri.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

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This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Nebraska legend announces dementia diagnosis in Hall of Fame speech

Statistically speaking, it’s unlikely Davis Thompson will ever have another round his Saturday 65 at the Wyndham Championship.

Not because 65 is a particularly unusual score for Thompson, who shot a Saturday 63 at the 3M Open just two weeks ago. But because of what happened inside that 65: A collection of not one but two of the more statistical anomalies in all of professional golf … in just one round.

Let’s explain.

Thompson’s day in North Carolina started off slow. After four even par holes to start his Saturday, Thompson turned for the par-5 fifth hole knowing he needed to make some magic.

“Kind of got off to a slow start,” he said Saturday afternoon. “And then, you know, making an albatross usually helps get things going.”

Indeed, it does. And indeed it did for Thompson on Saturday, whose double-eagle two on the fifth hole was so unexpected he needed the ShotLink cameras just to capture it. (They did, delivering one of the funnier Jim Nantz highlight calls of the ’26 season.)