Category: Offseason

Former Vikings RB Dalvin Cook ‘getting ready for what’s coming up next’

Former Minnesota Vikings Dalvin Cook is still looking for a team to spend the 2024 season with and is staying ready.

Former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is still looking for a team to spend the 2024 season with. Cook remains a free agent after playing one game with the Baltimore Ravens during last season’s playoffs.

When speaking to Aaron Wilson of KPRC, the former Viking said he was “getting ready for training camp, getting ready for what’s coming up next. For me, like you said, patience is the key. Right now the only thing I’m really focusing on is getting myself in tip-top shape to really tote the rock come the fall.”

He also said he has been “taking calls” from teams. After getting limited action in 16 total games last season with the Jets and Ravens, Cook is taking his time getting ready.

Last season, he didn’t sign with the Jets until September, so he has shown he is more than OK waiting for an opportunity he feels fits him best.

Could J.J. McCarthy and Caleb Williams face-off this season?

The starting quarterback of the Vikings will be determined by the end of camp. Regardless, we may get a key matchup late in the season.

There is so much left to unfold as the Minnesota Vikings get closer to finding their starting quarterback for the 2024 season. Mandatory minicamps and training camps are all set to compete with Sam Darnold and rookie J.J. McCarthy.

Regardless, the team seems excited about whoever starts, but this has left some wondering when McCarthy will take over. The Athletic sees it happening by the second matchup between the Bears and Vikings at the latest.

Chris Burke of The Athletic discussed the potential of the best rookie matchups and hinted that the Bears’ top pick could face off against the Vikings’ top pick in Week 12.

“Assuming Williams doesn’t follow the Justin Fields path and McCarthy taps into most of his extremely high upside, the NFC North’s quarterback situation could be as rock solid over the next several years as it gets for a division. McCarthy isn’t a lock to start in Year 1, as Sam Darnold probably will enter camp as Minnesota’s QB1.”

Burke later discusses the late-season matchup between the teams is more likely for their first matchup of many against each other. Even if it doesn’t happen this year, the matchups between these two are going to alter their respective franchises for years to come.

The entire NFC North is quarterback talent-heavy, going to be a lot of the same faces for years to come.

Justin Jefferson absent from OTAs as contract negotiations continue

Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was absent from organized team activities on Monday while the team continues towards an extension.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was absent from organized team activities on Monday.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the absence on social media. The All-Pro wide receiver has been negotiating a contract extension with the Vikings for some time now, but both sides remain apart. His absence is expected to be due to those failed contract talks.

This offseason, the Vikings have remained optimistic about Jefferson’s extension. Both General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Head Coach Kevin O’Connell have said so every time they spoke to the media about it.

During the NFL Draft, Adofo-Mensah mentioned that Jefferson should have his “own week” to celebrate the deal.

While the Vikings have not extended Jefferson, several other prominent wide receivers have locked down deals. Amon’Ra St.Brown of the Detroit Lions and A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles have been extended with their teams, which could add some extra complications to the deal the Vikings hope to work out.

The receiver market is a complicated one and it gets fuzzier with every passing day.

Vikings’ reporter believes T.J. Hockenson could miss six weeks

Let’s hope he gets back on the field fully healthy and ready to go! #skol

When star Vikings’ tight end T.J. Hockenson went down on Christmas Eve with a severe knee injury, fans knew it would take time for Hockenson to get back on the field. Recently, Hockenson told the media there isn’t a timeline on when he might be ready to play games again, but “the progression has been incredible”.

But according to Star Tribune reporter Ben Goessling, he looks for Hockenson to come back after the bye week, which would make for a Week 7 matchup against the Detroit Lions.

“I would imagine Hockenson is on the PUP list through six weeks,” Goessling speculated on. “Week 6 bye is conveniently timed here. And then, oh, look who’s on the schedule for Week 7. Lions. His old buddy, Kerby Joseph.”

The PUP list requires players to miss four games, but in Goessling’s theory, Hockenson would sit the extra week to make sure he’s fully ready to go after the bye week. It would make for an interesting return against the Lions since safety Kerby Joseph was the one who hit Hockenson last season.

With Minnesota starting Sam Darnold or working rookie J.J. McCarthy into the mix, the Vikings’ offense would definitely suffer without a big-time threat like Hockenson on the field until halfway through the year.

Bear Necessities: Breaking down Chicago’s 2024 schedule release

The Bears revealed their 2024 schedule this week. We recap that and other headlines.

This is our online morning newsletter, Bear Necessities — weekly offseason edition. Subscribe to get the latest Bears news delivered to your mailbox every day.

What’s the latest with the Chicago Bears?

The Bears unveiled their 2024 regular-season schedule this week, where we finally learned when Chicago will face their opponents. That includes kicking off Week 1 at home against the Tennessee Titans, three prime-time games, a holiday game and no division games until Week 11.

Here’s a look at the most recent and relevant Bears stories for the week of May 12.

2024 schedule release

Other headlines

NFLPA Rookie Premiere gives first look at J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner in uniform

The NFLPA does a great job of educating the players coming into the league on various topics but photo day gives fans a unique first look.

The NFLPA does a great job of educating the players coming into the league on various topics, but photo day gives fans a unique first look.

On Saturday, on the eve of the four-day event’s final day, the NFLPA posted a video with rookies getting ready for their photoshoot. Vikings fans, in particular, can watch the video and get their first glimpse of both Dallas Turner and J.J. McCarthy in purple.

The NFLPA’s website boasts the Rookie Premiere as “one of the NFLPA’s flagship events” before going on to explain the “Rookie Premiere serves as a pivotal opportunity to educate these emerging stars on the business side of professional football and expand upon their existing endorsement careers.”

The part that Vikings fans will want to check in on has to do with the last part of the event.

“Notably, Fanatics will unveil each rookie’s official jersey for the first time and players will participate in photo and content shoots with Panini and EA, and more.”

Be sure to check the post to see the future faces of the franchise in their colors early.

Bleacher Report leaves Vikings out of 2024 playoff predictions

The NFC North is one of the toughest divisions in football. However, three of the four teams in it are expected to make the playoffs.

The NFC North is expected to be one of the toughest divisions in football in 2024. However, three of the four teams in it are expected to make the playoffs.

The one being left out? The Minnesota Vikings. Bleacher Report posted their playoff predictions on Friday and, for the most part, didn’t leave much to being egregiously wrong.

Now, before we throw our arms up and ask, “Why?” It is important to remember the landscape in which the team is making its way through in 2024. The entire division made improvements, including two with moves at the quarterback position, making this division full of what can be seen as complete teams.

For the Vikings, 2024 is going to be a learning year for many of their younger talent, but especially for quarterback J.J. McCarthy. We aren’t sure when or if we will see him this upcoming season, which leads to more concerns if Sam Darnold is to remain under center for an extended time.

The Lions and Packers making the playoffs makes sense. The Bears have a leg up on the Vikings for now, but if Caleb Williams struggles, that could give them a window of opportunity to break through.

T.J. Hockenson on facing Kirk Cousins: ‘He’s gonna be on the other side, so we’ll treat him as so’

Going to be odd seeing Kirk on the opposite side.

T.J. Hockenson is healing up from a season-ending injury he suffered last season. While there is no timetable on when Hockenson will be able to suit up for the Vikings in 2024, he’s more than likely going to be back on the field during a Week 14 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.

Former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will be back in Minnesota but on the opposite sideline of where fans and teammates got used to seeing the quarterback for six seasons. Cousins is fighting back from a season-ending injury he suffered last year as well, but he should be ready to go in Week 1 for Atlanta.

Appearing on NFL Network, Hockenson was asked about seeing Cousins back in Minnesota in that Week 14 game. Hockenson, like most of the other Vikings, is going to find it odd seeing Cousins standing on the opposite side. But at the end of the day, he is now against Minnesota, and the Vikings will treat it just like that.

“It’s gonna be for sure weird to see Kirko in a Falcons jersey,” Hockenson said. “He’s one of those guys that’s going to attack his rehab as well,” Hockenson said. “He’s gonna come back and be the same player he was [before] he was hurt. It’s gonna be, obviously a challenge to go up against him. But we’re in purple now and he’s gonna be on the other side, so we’ll treat him as so.”

Bears sign EDGE Austin Booker to rookie contract

The Bears signed fifth-round edge rusher Austin Booker to a four-year rookie deal.

The Chicago Bears have signed edge rusher Austin Booker to his four-year rookie contract, the team announced Thursday.

Chicago selected Booker in the fifth round in the 2024 NFL draft. While they originally traded away their fifth-round selection to the Buffalo Bills, they traded back into the draft to land Booker (receiving their original selection from Buffalo).

“You turn on the tape and you see everything you need to see,” Bears scout John Syty said. “I mean, the way this kid wins, the way he’s able to win with speed outside, the way he’s able to come underneath with the counter and then deceptively one of his best attributes is this kid’s ability to win with power.”

Booker has a rather limited sample size having played just one full season (with one start) at Kansas. But he has high upside with explosiveness, athleticism, length and pass rush talent that makes him a really appealing developmental prospect in Matt Eberflus’ defense.

Booker is the third member of Chicago’s five-player 2024 draft class to sign his rookie contract. The team previously signed punter Tory Taylor and offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie to their rookie deals.

Broncos to sign former Bears P Trenton Gill

The former Bears punter has found a new home.

Former Chicago Bears punter Trenton Gill has found a new home, but he will still be wearing blue and orange. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Gill is signing with the Denver Broncos. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Gill, a 2022 seventh-round draft pick, was a below-average punter for the first two years of his career. He averaged just 46 yards per punt, and his touchback percentage ballooned from 4.5% in 2022 to 11.9% in 2023. He was ranked near the bottom of the league in most punting stats.

His status with the Bears was put in doubt after the team selected Iowa punter Tory Taylor in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. It didn’t take long for his future to be decided, however, as he was released a few days later.

Now, Gill heads to Denver to continue his career. He will likely compete with Riley Dixon for the position, who has been the Broncos punter since 2016.