That didn’t stop head coach Kevin O’Connell from naming Wentz the starter on Tuesday. Still, with JJ McCarthy still out and ongoing questions surrounding the redshirt rookie’s readiness — not to mention Wents’ aching left shoulder and underwhelming performance of late — former Gopher Max Brosmer remains at the ready.

MN Vikings may need Max Brosmer says Florio

And according to Pro Football Talk founder Mike Florio, a move to the rookie UDFA (who has impressed at every turn) is starting to make more and more sense. After all, everything we’ve seen from Brosmer leads us to believe he could operate O’Connell’s offense in a way that Wentz cannot.

It’s a short week, and the Vikings could be shorthanded at quarterback. Both J.J. McCarthy (ankle) and Carson Wentz (left shoulder) were listed as limited participants in a Monday practice that didn’t actually happen. That keeps the door open for the possibility that undrafted rookie Max Brosmer will get the start.

Brosmer has served as the backup to Wentz during McCarthy’s absence. And Brosmer has impressed the Vikings in his limited time in the NFL. Could he play? The Vikings may have no choice.

Injury or not, the Wentz chariot-pumpkin meter is back in the orange category. And McCarthy, even if healthy, possibly hasn’t practiced enough to play. Brosmer has been the one consistent and healthy presence.

Mike Florio – Pro Football Talk

Wentz was horrible on Sunday, right out of the gate, and he wasn’t much better during their trip to Europe. Meanwhile, J.J. McCarthy has been out of the game for over a year dealing with achilles and ankle injuries.

Clearly, the MN Vikings have questions about whether or not he is currently capable of starting duties. They can only move the goalposts on his timeline so far, before fans and media say “enough is enough”. Would Max Brosmer step in and be an immediate star? No, but he could very well be better than Carson Wentz.

Kirk Cousins noted again for MN Vikings

When the Vikings opted against bringing back either Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones, they put all of their eggs in the untested basket of J.J. McCarthy. As those two veterans thrive elsewhere, Florio wonders if a reunion with the league’s highest-paid backup isn’t on the horizon.

Then there’s this possibility. With two weeks left until the trade deadline arrives, could the Vikings pull the rip cord on the Kirk Cousins emergency option? While the Falcons possibly have a diminished appetite to trade Cousins now that starter Michael Penix Jr. is day-to-day with a bone bruise, the Vikings presumably would get through Thursday night’s game at the Chargers and the following Sunday’s visit to the Lions before making a final decision in the two remaining days before the time for 2025 trades ends.

By November 4, the Falcons could be willing to move Cousins out. And the Vikings could be willing to move Cousins in.

Frankly, a move like that could be the only chance the Vikings have to end their current trend of failing to make the playoffs in back-to-back years. They last qualified for the postseason in consecutive years in 2008 and 2009.

Mike Florio – Pro Football Talk

A loss on Thursday would put the Vikings at 3-4 with their playoff hopes on life support. With Wentz starting, failing to get the job done would waste a roster intended to win now. If Brosmer steps in, it may just be a stopgap.

Cousins would clearly love to be back under center routinely, and he had a good thing going in Minnesota. That’s going to remain a possibility until he starts for another team, and Florio is right, Minnesota can’t afford to keep swinging and missing.

Mike Florio, the creator and voice of ProFootballTalk.com, may be a prominent national media figure, but he’s a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan, at heart, and routinely appears on KFAN, to talk with Paul Allen, radio voice of the Vikings. Yeah, no wonder why he is how he is, right?

Minnesota Vikings can’t convince Mike Florio they are good

Given the years of heartbreak his fandom has caused, Florio isn’t sold on the 2024 Minnesota Vikings. Not only is he not sold on this year’s squad… but he is bored and annoyed with his favorite NFL football team. He wants them to be more like the Detroit Lions.

“The past two games, the past three games have been so fricken boring. There’s no excitement in watching the Vikings play. There’s something missing. I think it’s because they’re playing teams that they should be kicking the sh-t out of and they’re not. It makes me wonder what happens when they come up against a really good team.

I mean, look at the Jaguars. 12-7. Then they go to Detroit and it was the worst attack by a Lion since Montecore. 52-6. Worst loss in franchise history for the Jaguars. Biggest win in franchise history for the Lions. They don’t screw around. I feel like the Vikings can’t deliver the knockout blow. It’s just hang on, and hang on, and hang on. It’s just not fun to watch games like that where there’s never that uprising. It’s just like, there’s a lead, can they hold it?”

Mike Florio on Minnesota’s recent performance (KFAN)

Related: Vikings Executive Floated as Candidate for GM Job He May Not Want

There are plenty of times where Florio’s opinions can be dismissed as overblown, but is he wrong, here? This isn’t like when he was calling for Minnesota to trade Sam Darnold for Matthew Stafford. This time, he is kind of right. The Vikings have played two bottom-feeders in recent weeks, and they largely failed to put them away.

98 YARDS TO THE HOUSE!!!!!!!

📺: Watch #MINvsTEN on @NFLonCBS stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/y8RseU8zPy

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) November 17, 2024

When Minnesota goes to Chicago this weekend, they have another chance to make a statement. This Bears team isn’t good, and even in making coaching changes, Caleb Williams still has yet to prove anything. The offensive line gives up sacks in bunches, and Brian Flores should put him on his back often. Ultimately though, Florio doesn’t see that happening either.

“This feels like a Chicago win. They’re better than 4-6, and the Vikings don’t deserve to be 9-2. The Bears’ offense has improved, and Sam Darnold can be counted on to make a mistake or two.”

Mike Florio picking Chicago to win 24-21 (Pro Football Talk)

There’s always something to happen at Soldier Field. The playing surface is a mess and the Vikings have struggled to complete season sweeps. They did win on the road last season. In fact, they’ve won four-straight in the Windy City. This is the end of a three-game road stretch. Next week, the Minnesota Vikings return home to play another surprise team this season, the Arizona Cardinals.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Return to Near-Full Health on Thursday

But prior to that extension, there were a few reports floating around that pushed a possible trade, if the Vikings were blown away by a crazy offer. Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) and Charley Walters (Pioneer Press) led the charge on those Jefferson trade rumors.

Florio first reported on draft night that Minnesota tried trading up to No. 5 in the first round for LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, which Walters reported weeks later would have led to a trade of Justin Jefferson.

Eventually, ESPN reported that the Vikings never discussed trading Justin Jefferson. Then this week, head coach Kevin O’Connell mimicked the same thing, that it was never discussed internally. That lead to many local media members and plenty of fans around the Twin Cities firing strays (and some shooting straight shots) at Florio over his previous trade reports.

All Mike Florio did for four months was fearmonger about the Vikings and Justin Jefferson. Do not give that man the time of day. Here's a thread of the headlines.

Florio does a great job reporting full contract details, but otherwise mostly spews incendiary nonsense. pic.twitter.com/4MvbUdriqi

— Matt Fries (@FriesFootball) June 3, 2024

Mike Florio calls out Minnesota Vikings beat writers

Well on Thursday evening, Florio fired back in very ProFootballTalk fashion, calling out local media members in the Twin Cities for essentially burying the Justin Jefferson trade steam, in order to protect their own relationships within the organization and within Jefferson’s camp. That’s why, Mike claims, those beat reporters are “parroting the ‘nothing to see here’ mantra” that the Vikings are putting out.

Beat writers have plenty of reasons, driven both by access and a desire not to come off as having been scooped, to parrot the “nothing to see here” mantra.

Some would say beat writers know a given team better than anyone else. While that might be true in many circumstances, there’s a real difference between what beat writers can and will write and what they know but can’t say.

Mike Florio – ProFootballTalk

Mike says it is a FACT that Justin Jefferson’s camp was sending out signals of frustration when the Vikings were dragging their feet during negotiations. Everyone knew what it would take to get a deal done,s o what took so long for Minnesota to make that offer? According to Florio, Jefferson’s camp was wondering the same thing.

Here’s a fact to which we previously alluded on PFT Live and that I reported unequivocally on Thursday morning’s show. At one point before the draft, Jefferson’s camp believed the Vikings were “playing games” with their most important player.

Mike Florio – ProFootballTalk

Per Mike Florio of @ProFootballTalk via @KFAN1003, his “intel” from WR Justin Jefferson’s perspective is that the #Vikings are playing games with him regarding his contract extension negotiations 👀

“If you want him, you pay him. If you don't, you trade him. You don't do this… pic.twitter.com/RbKZFLoL3W

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) May 22, 2024

Related: Are Vikings Intentionally Hiding J.J. McCarthy from Fans and Media?

Both reporters doubled and Florio has even tripled down, saying there is a reason reporters didn’t ask KOC specifically about trying to trade up for Nabers. Here again, Mike uses the word “fact” to describe the situation.

“Then there’s the fact that more than a few people have said the Vikings were trying to trade up from No. 11 to No. 5 to draft LSU receiver Malik Nabors. Too many people heard that for it to have been something that someone pulled out of thin air and/or their ass. Even though Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell got the predictable softball earlier this week regarding the question of whether the Vikings shopped Jefferson, no one asked about the Nabors rumors and reports.

Mike Florio – ProFootballTalk

At around the same time this morning, local insider Darren Wolfson was on the Mackey & Judd Show (SKOR North) shooting down a Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) report from Monday that claimed Cousins was preparing for a move to Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Florio was on his own PFT podcast all but confessing (giddily) to his audience that the source for his Cousins information recently is likely Kirk Cousins and/or his wife Julie. Florio claims that he’s basing at least some of his reporting on conversations he overheard between “Mrs. Florio” and “Mrs. Cousins” at the Super Bowl… which seems unlikely.

Mike Florio on @ProFootballTalk Live this morning with some juicy reporting / speculation:

"It's not final yet, but the Atlanta Falcons are the team to watch for Kirk Cousins. The indications are there…

"Mrs. Cousins was talking to Mrs. Florio, and I had a chance to… pic.twitter.com/ddFNzv5Vfo

— Phil Mackey 🎙 (@PhilMackey) March 5, 2024

“Now again, it’s never done until it’s done and the Vikings could break up and wake up and come out of this fever dream and realize that Kirk Cousins will indeed find better elsewhere, and it could be too late. That was one of the vibes I got when we had Kirk cousins on the set at the Super Bowl and Mrs. Cousins was talking to Mrs. Florio and I had a chance to participate in their conversation for a little bit she didn’t say anything definitive but one of the vibes I got is you know, ‘why do we gotta wait so long for the Vikings to do what they claim to wanna do.’

At some point the human being [in you] says, ‘you had your chance the other team in Atlanta, by the way, where Cousins’ wife grew up and her parents still live, they’re coming after us. You’re not, you’re aloof, you’re standoffish. You’re daring us to go out and find another offer. OK, we will. That’s the the risk you take.”

Mike Florio – PFT

Mike Florio & wife talking directly to Julie and Kirk Cousins?

In other words, it feels more and more likely that Mackey, Judd and Doogie hit the nail on the head this morning when they seemed very sure that Florio is being fed bad information from somebody in the Cousins camp. And after watching this video, I’m pretty convinced that somebody is Kirk and Julie.

And I do not buy that all of this information came during Super Bowl week. Are you kidding me? That was a month ago. Do you believe for one moment that Florio wouldn’t have been screaming that info from the rooftops a month ago, had he known it then? Come on…

Related: ESPN Insiders: Vikings Want a Hometown Discount and Kirk Cousins Doesn’t Seem Interested

From there, Florio doubles down on his report from yesterday and gives more specific EXAMPLES (definitely not real things that he actually discussed with Kirk and/or his wife – wink, wink) of what Cousins may or may not be doing in “planning” their “possible” move to Atlanta. Like… check on schools, possible houses and, of course, the player who wears your number 8 on the other team…

“I mean if you’re gonna commit to the bit, you do things like, say, go check out schools that your kids will go to or go find a house that you’ll buy, if you happen to buy a house within 10 minutes of the team facility or start talking to, ohh I don’t know, the guy who currently wears your preferred number about getting it? Those are the kinds of things — I’m not saying they’ve happened here — those are the kinds of things that would indicate a potential relocation of the Cousins family is being contemplated.”

Mike Florio – PFT

Florio can’t say this for sure because both the Falcons and Cousins could definitely get in trouble for tampering. But it sure seems like Mike is suggesting that one piece of information that convinced him of Kirk’s likely exodus from Minnesota was him reaching out presumably to Kyle Pitts, who currently wears #8 for the Falcons.

General manager Kwesi Adofo had seemingly drawn a line in the sand and it appeared Cousins’ camp is of the belief that he can get more. Since, we’ve seen rumors and reports on both sides of the isle and numbers floated from $30 million per year all the way up to $51 million. Kirk wants more “term” and “fully-guaranteed money” which seem to be the two sticking points in talks to this point.

But on Wednesday, ProFootballTalk.com’s founder Mike Florio sat down at the scouting combine with Vikings play-by-play voice Paul Allen where the two friends chopped it up for about 15 minutes on his “Nine to Noon” KFAN Radio show.

Florio has been in Indianapolis for a couple of days and he’s been out and about chatting it up with league executives and others in the know around the NFL. One of Mike’s main missions this week, as a Vikings fan, seems to be finding out what’s happening with the Kirk Cousins situation.

Mike Florio spills beans on Minnesota Vikings plan with Kirk Cousins

Through his Indianapolis sleuthing, Florio believes he’s nailed down Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s thinking, with the Cousins negotiations. He says the Vikings are “confident” that Kirk will NOT find what he is looking for while his agent Mike McCartney shops his services this week at the combine. That, essentially, Cousins will come crawling back to the organization after he realized the grass isn’t greener outside Minnesota.

(Cousins talk begins around the 21-minute mark — Transcript below)

“My assessment of the situation is, [the Vikings] have a number that they are willing to extend, and that if Kirk Cousins is able to find anything else that he likes better, he is free to take it. They are very clear eyed about it, they are very confident.

They use the phrase, Kevin [O’Connell] did a couple of times, ‘[Kirk Cousins] has earned the right to bet on himself’ and they believe that when the time comes for [Kirk] to go see what else is out there, he will learn that whatever else is out there is not better. That the grass will not be greener in Atlanta or Las Vegas or back in Washington.”

Mike Florio – KFAN Radio with Paul Allen

Grass won’t be greener for Kirk on other side of NFL scouting combine?

What does Mr. ProFootballTalk mean when he says ‘the grass won’t be greener’ for Kirk Cousins? Well, most of it seems to come down to a lack of options. Much like the last time he was a free agent, landing spots seem to be more limited than what many seem to assume.

Related: Vikings Crush NFLPA Player Team Rankings Again but Fall Off Top Spot

Florio is hearing that potential landing spots like Washington and Las Vegas won’t be as soft as expected. He’s even hearing that the Pittsburgh Steelers plan to run it back with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph for another season, instead of handing the reins to an outside-the-organization veteran like Cousins.

“I don’t think Pittsburgh [is happening]. Some people I was talking to last night [say the Steelers] really are gonna do this Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph thing, as crazy as it sounds. That’s what I get the impression is what they’re going to do.”

“Look, when [Kirk Cousins] was a free agent six years ago, 29 years old and healthy, it was the Vikings and Jets [who were interested]. That’s it, the Vikings and the Jets. So now he’s 35, coming off a torn achilles tendon and once you pop one, you’re more likely to pop the other one. So who’s gonna be out there?”

Mike Florio – KFAN Radio with Paul Allen

But what about Atlanta?

Atlanta? That’s been the hot spot rumor for some time now. Problem is, it sounds like the Falcons could complete a deal with the Chicago Bears any moment to acquire Justin Fields. And it’s not just Mike Florio who’s reporting the Fields to Atlanta steam.

Related: ESPN Expert Jordan Reid Reveals Likely Vikings Defensive Draft Targets

DraftKings had to take the futures bet off their board because so many people were betting on the Falcons to land Fields. Should the Atlanta domino fall, Florio believes we could see the Vikings plan of waiting out Kirk Cousins start to unfold in real time as his options start to fall off the board one after another.

PA: “But now you mentioned that with Pittsburgh and and I had not thought of that or heard that. Well, if Justin fields gets traded to Atlanta, which I would make them favored”…”I mean, if Justin [Fields goes to Atlanta] and Pittsburgh wants to do this [Rudolph + Pickett] thing, [Cousins] is gonna run out of options.”

Florio: Right, and I think that’s what [the Vikings] are counting on.”

Mike Florio – KFAN Radio with Paul Allen

Florio then riffs for a little bit on how Kwesi needs to be careful during this process with Cousins. That he cannot assume Kirk won’t up and move to another city, if he feels disrespected or if the Vikings overplay the whole, ‘my kids are already in school in Minnesota and my family is already comfortable’ card.

In fact, he says he has gotten tips that Kirk and Julie have already scoped out schools and neighborhoods in Atlanta, should he end up there. But in the end, Mike comes back to the same thought. If Atlanta trades for Fields, Kirk could be facing a return to Minnesota with his tail between his legs..

Florio: “It would be foolish to assume that Kirk and Julie Cousins haven’t already scoped out everything that they would be doing in Atlanta, including the school. I’m in a position where I get all sorts of crazy tips from people. Some of the tips I’ve gotten is they’ve already been down there and they know exactly where the kids would go to school if Atlanta is the place.”

PA: “Yeah, well [the Cousins’] absolutely have [scoped things out already].”

Florio: “But if they go Justin fields then it doesn’t matter. And I got the impression from hearing Raheem Morris, the new head coach of the Falcons yesterday, that it is going to be Justin Fields.”

If you don’t believe Mike Florio, and some certainly will not, then maybe you’ll soften a bit when you read the quote that came out of Kwesi-Adofo Mensah, on the same KFAN radio station, earlier in PA’s show.

Related: Vikings Meet Formally with LSU QB Jayden Daniels at NFL Scouting Combine

Kwesi-Adofo Mensah hinting that Florio may be right?

That’s when the Vikings GM talked about how he expects the negotiations with Kirk Cousins to go all the way to the very last moment, which is expected to be March 13, right before his $28.5 million dead cap penalty would hit the books if there is no new deal. This sure makes it seem like the front office is waiting for Kirk to shop around until he comes to the realization that, like Florio said, the grass isn’t greener on other teams’ fields.

#Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah via @KFAN1003 on when a likely decision on Kirk Cousins will be made 👀

“I think it probably go right down to the deadline. I hope it doesn’t. I don’t like hoping, but as I’ve learned in this league deadlines do just kind of get people to tighten… pic.twitter.com/kDUhpTS6Z0

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) February 28, 2024

Zimmer Blames Florio for his Firing

Unless your name is Mike Florio and you are the creator/curator of a very popular sports website called ProFootballTalk.com, apparently. Because then — as Florio told Stephen Strom on a MUST-LISTEN episode of “The Sports Talkers Podcast” this week — Mike Zimmer blames you for starting the groundswell that led to his firing (transcribed below).

Holy shit @ProFootballTalk told @SStrom_ that Mike Zimmer started angry texting him the night Kirk Cousins was extended, blaming Florio for why he was fired as #Vikings head coach… pic.twitter.com/f3zYdtvy5A

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 10, 2022

Strom: “What’s the most upset a player or coach has been at you?”

Florio: “The night that the Vikings extended Kirk Cousins again… …That night, in March of this year, right around the start of free agency; [Zimmer] started sending me some texts and they were not nice. And look, he thought that I was responsible for getting him fired, thinks that I started the groundswell. And at a certain point, you can only take so much before you push back. So, it was spirited, to say the least. We both said what he had to say.”

Mike Florio (PFT) – The Sports Talkers Podcast w/Stephen Strom)

This was a great interview, all around. Both Strom and Florio are Minnesota Vikings fans so they talk about the team’s past and where it’s heading, along with the rise of PFT, among other things. Florio opened up quite a bit in the 23-minute appearance. He even throws out some of the less-egregious cuss words available in the english dictionary.

Let’s break this down…

Of course, Florio lamented the unenviable position Mike Zimmer is in right now, with the passing of Adam Zimmer last week. You see it in the video above but I cut it out of the transcript. Losing a child is something we can all agree no parent should ever have to go through.

Florio was hard on Mike Zimmer late in his Vikings tenure and you’d be surprised at how much pull Mr. PFT has in the NFL community. It’s been documented. The timing of these text messages may be the most interesting part of this story, though. Zimmer didn’t start texting Florio right after he was fired. He waited months, until news broke that the Vikings were extending Kirk Cousins.

Did he realize, at that moment, the Vikings organization had decided to run it back without him. That they were keeping everyone outside of Rick Spielman and himself? Is that what sent him over the edge? Maybe it was just Zim’s dislike for Cousins that sparked his unrest and subsequent text messages that night…

We may never know, but this sure is an interesting new wrinkle to Zimmer’s demise, as Minnesota Vikings head coach, that we had yet to hear about.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk.com) wrote a blog based on his interview with Denver Broncos general manager, George Paton, formerly a decade-long assistant GM for the Vikings. This offseason, in case you didn’t hear, Paton traded the Broncos’ future for Russell Wilson.

In his chat with Florio, George compared Wilson’s early presence and lift, inside the Denver locker room, to that of another free agent quarterback signed one memorable offseason while Paton was in Minnesota. Not 2018 Kirk Cousins, but 2009 Brett Favre.

Man, you Kirk haters just reach for any little thing you can possibly find. It’s sad, really. https://t.co/8T9lcPeVsv

— Jared Barsness (@JaredBarsNFL) May 9, 2022

Back in 2009, George Paton was the Vikings’ director of player personnel. He would get promoted to assistant GM in 2012, when his long-time friend and colleague, Rick Spielman, is named general manager (and undisputed top dog in the Vikings hierarchy). Paton was in Minnesota for Favre, McNabb, Ponder, Teddy, Keenum and Cousins. He saw it all.

No mention of Kirk Cousins

Florio was taken aback by Paton’s blatant disregard of Kirk Cousins’ locker room presence. But why? Are we surprised that Cousins didn’t immediately lift the Minnesota Vikings locker room in the same way Brett Favre once did? I mean… that isn’t news.

We’ve heard all the stories of Favre’s arrival in Minneapolis and how quickly his teammates bought into and trusted his leadership. From locker room shenanigans to in-huddle dominance, Favre was the ultimate teammate. He was the type of leader who doesn’t come around often. That’s part of why he owns a Super Bowl and multiple league MVP’s.

Kirk Cousins, on the other hand, has NEVER had that type of intangible reputation. It’s been well-documented that he struggles to grab control of a locker room in the way many great QB’s have. Hell, his voice cracks when he tries to talk to loud.

Remember when Kyle Rudolph wrote a manifesto about his time in Minnesota, thanking just about everyone ever involved with the franchise? Thousands of words and not one mention Kirk Cousins, who played QB and threw him footballs nearly half of his career with the Vikings.

Kyle Rudolph wrote a 2,000-word farewell article — a very good one, I might add — thanking several people in the Vikings organization, former teammates & QBs (including Matt Cassel!)… but he didn’t mention Kirk Cousins.

I found it interesting. Nothing more, just… interesting

— Phil Mackey ???? (@PhilMackey) March 3, 2021

Kirk is who we know he is

Whether Florio wants to admit it or not, we knew who Kirk Cousins was long before Mr. PFT chatted with George Paton over the weekend. He isn’t Brett Favre and he may not even be Russell Wilson. Kirk’s a capable pocket passer who can look really good if you give him consistent time in the pocket. Want a confident locker room leader? Find someone else.

Under Kevin O’Connell, Kirk could very well take another step forward, much like Matt Stafford did in 2021-22. But if he does, it’ll be thanks to KOC’s offensive acumen. Not because Kirk suddenly changed as a human being.

Can he improve enough to win a Super Bowl with a better offensive coaching staff? We’ll soon find out.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan