Guess what, baseball fans? Tanner Scott is still on the free agency market! Yes, you heard that right. One of the top left-handed relievers in the game is just sitting there, waiting to be scooped up—and all it takes is some cash. I know the Blue Jays are looking at him, but the Yanks should be too and momentum could be building as we inch closer to spring training.
Ryan Garcia, Yankees writer and podcaster extraordinaire, is shouting from the rooftops that the Yankees should seriously consider adding Scott to their roster, or at least poke around to see how things are shaping up in his market. “I think the Yankees should still explore the Tanner Scott market. If it isn’t as prominent as people thought and he signs a 2-year deal with an opt-out? That’s just good value,” he wrote.
But wait, there’s more! Remember when we here at Bleeding Yankee Blue hyped up the potential of pairing Scott with Luke Weaver and Devin Williams? “Pair Scott with Luke Weaver and Devin Williams, and suddenly, the Yankees’ bullpen could become an impenetrable fortress. It’s like assembling a dream team of shutdown artists, with Scott ready to bring the heat and make batters rethink their choices,” they said. And they’re not wrong!
Just imagine the chaos Tanner Scott could bring to the mound. In 72 innings between the Miami Marlins and the San Diego Padres, he fanned 84 batters and posted a jaw-dropping 1.75 ERA. The guy’s a strikeout machine, and the Yankees could use that kind of firepower to lock down the back of their bullpen.
A Scott-Weaver-Williams trio to close out games? That would be pure dominance. It would be sick. So, Yankees, what are you waiting for? Get on the Tanner Scott train before it leaves the station!
Tanner Scott, a left-handed pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, has been showing signs of improvement this season. With his electric fastball and devastating slider, Scott has proven to be a valuable asset in the Orioles bullpen.
In his last few appearances, Scott has been able to consistently hit high 90s with his fastball and has been able to locate his pitches effectively. His strikeout rate has also been impressive, with a 13.5 K/9 ratio so far this season.
It seems that Scott’s confidence is growing with each outing, as he has been able to shut down some tough lineups and keep the Orioles in close games. If he can continue to build on this momentum, Scott could become a key piece in the Orioles’ bullpen for years to come.
Orioles fans should keep an eye on Tanner Scott as he continues to develop and show his potential as a dominant reliever in the major leagues. Momentum could be building for Scott, and he could be a key factor in the Orioles’ success moving forward.
The first significant support level lies at $4.053, with additional pivots at $3.989 and $3.850. A breach of these levels could signal further downside. Traders should watch last week’s close at $3.989, as a close below this level may form a bearish chart pattern, pointing to weaker near-term price action.
While Thursday’s session saw double-digit gains driven by bullish weather forecasts and a robust storage report, Friday has seen no follow-through, raising concerns about the sustainability of the rally.
Storage Draw and Weather Outlook Fuel Volatility
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a significant draw of 258 Bcf in storage for the week ending January 10, nearly double the five-year average of 128 Bcf. Working gas stocks now stand at 3,115 Bcf, 77 Bcf above the five-year average but 111 Bcf below year-ago levels.
Weather forecasts suggest moderate demand through Saturday before an Arctic Blast pushes demand to very high levels next week. Lows ranging from -20°F to 20°F are expected across much of the U.S., including Texas and the South, reinforcing bullish sentiment for heating-driven demand.
Supply and Demand Dynamics Keep Traders on Edge
Natural gas supply dipped by 0.8% week over week, with dry gas production falling to 102.4 Bcf/d. In contrast, demand rose by 1.3%, driven by a 3.1% increase in residential and commercial use. LNG pipeline receipts hit 15.4 Bcf/d, up 0.3 Bcf/d, as export demand continues to surge.
Exports to Mexico climbed 10%, highlighting strong international demand. However, power generation consumption dropped slightly, reflecting seasonal trends.
As temperatures drop and winter weather sets in, the natural gas market is closely watching for any signs of increased demand. With recent forecasts predicting a blast of Arctic air sweeping across the United States, many are wondering if this extreme cold weather will spark a bullish momentum for natural gas prices.
Historically, cold weather has been a key driver of natural gas demand as households and businesses turn up the heat to stay warm. This increased consumption can lead to higher prices as supplies are stretched thin. Additionally, the potential for disruptions in production or delivery due to freezing temperatures can further tighten the market and push prices higher.
Analysts are keeping a close eye on the weather patterns in the coming weeks to see if this Arctic blast will be sustained and widespread. If so, it could provide a much-needed boost to natural gas prices, which have been struggling in recent months due to oversupply and weak demand.
Investors and traders are advised to monitor weather forecasts, production levels, and storage inventories closely to gauge the potential impact of this extreme cold weather on the natural gas market. With the potential for bullish momentum on the horizon, now is the time to stay informed and prepared for any potential price movements.
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natural gas news, arctic weather, bullish momentum, demand, higher, energy markets, weather patterns, natural gas prices, market trends, energy consumption, supply and demand
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Fresh off the program’s first win in its 12th try at Allen Fieldhouse, West Virginia is riding high ahead of Saturday’s noon home matchup with Oklahoma State, one that will air on CBS Sports Network and marks the Mountaineers’ first Big 12 home game.
First-year WVU head coach Darian DeVries knows his team’s most recent victory, a 62-61 triumph at seventh-ranked Kansas, will likely stand out above any others this season in terms of win quality. Yet DeVries is also stressing that the importance of it becomes diminished if the Mountaineers don’t follow it up with another victory in league play against the Cowboys.
“From the coaches perspective, we understand that was one 40-minute game,” DeVries said. “We appreciate how hard that win is to get in Allen Fieldhouse. We’re not taking away from that by any means, and we also know that was a great moment for us, but we have a new task at hand. We turned that page pretty quickly. We enjoyed it for the appropriate amount of time. Now we have another Big 12 opponent coming in. In basketball, you don’t get much time to celebrate. Win or lose, you just can’t hang on to it very long.”
Minus Tucker DeVries for a fourth straight game and without Amani Hansberry for the first time in his WVU career, the Mountaineers were missing 33 percent of their scoring and 31 percent of their rebounding, but never trailed against the Jayhawks. Guard Javon Small made the second of two free throws with 1.8 seconds remaining to break a 61-all tie and give West Virginia (10-2, 1-0) its third victory against a ranked foe this season, while handing KU its 13th setback in 174 Big 12 games at that venue under head coach Bill Self.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that,” said WVU swingman Toby Okani, who scored seven points against the Jayhawks and is one of three Mountaineers to start all 12 games this season. “That atmosphere was amazing. The crowd was crazy. I could barely hear myself think.”
With three days between the marquee win on New Year’s Eve and Big 12 home opener, the Mountaineers had little time to savor the result.
“Hopefully after the season, you can look back and reflect on it and appreciate it a lot more,” DeVries said. “From a coach’s perspective, in a sport like basketball where you’re playing every three days, you have to have that discipline to move on.“
Like the Mountaineers, Oklahoma State (8-4, 0-1) is under the direction of a new head coach in Steve Lutz, who once worked alongside DeVries from 2010-17 while both were assistants at Creighton.
Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz cheers during a men’s college Bedlam basketball game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. Oklahoma won 80-65.
“They’re very aggressive, especially defensively,” DeVries said. “They create a lot of turnovers because of their aggressiveness and they do a great job of getting to the rim and drawing fouls. They play to those strengths. They attack in transition every possession — make or miss.”
The Cowboys last played Monday when they fell to 14th-ranked Houston, 60-47. The Cowboys’ previous season-low point total had been 65 in a loss to Oklahoma, and their average of 76.3 points is on par with WVU’s 76.2.
However, the Mountaineers rank third among 16 Big 12 teams in scoring defense by surrendering 63.6 points on average, while OSU is next-to-last in the league in that category at 73.4 points. Opponents are shooting 46 percent against the Cowboys and just 37.4 percent against WVU, which could be welcome news to the Mountaineers as they strive to overcome scoring droughts that DeVries feels have become too common.
“We’ve had those droughts in all different styles of games where we go 3, 4 minutes without a basket,” DeVries said. “It’s a little bit to do with some of our movement and things at times. Maybe we can get a little tired on the offensive end, because we do expend a lot of energy on the defensive end. We can stand a little bit and that’s something we have to get better at. Even little subtle moments sometimes can help your offense out. Those are things we continue to focus on and try to find ways to do it while trying to still keep the pieces in the right places at the same time.”
For Small, Saturday’s game marks a matchup against his former team, with the Mountaineers’ leader in scoring, assists and steals having spent last season playing for the Cowboys. Through 12 games at West Virginia, Small is the Big 12’s top scorer at 19.2 points to go with 4.9 assists.
It remains to be seen if DeVries will miss a fifth straight contest and Hansberry a second straight, or if guard Jayden Stone makes his WVU debut. Stone suffered an injury late in preseason, but warmed up and was dressed to play for the first time at Kansas.
“Everybody’s getting closer,” DeVries said. “We’re doing everything we can to get everybody back on the floor as soon as possible.”
Oklahoma State has seven players averaging more than seven points, though only two — Marchelus Avery and Abou Ousmane — average double-figure scoring. Avery, a 6-foot-8 forward, is tops on the squad with 12.3 points, while the 6-10 Ousmane has an 11.5 scoring average. The duo also leads the team in rebounding with Ousmane averaging 5.5 boards and Avery 5.4.
The Cowboys have a plus-6.3 rebounding margin, while the Mountaineers rank last in the Big 12 in that category at plus-0.2.
“There’s no question we have some limitations and we understand that,” DeVries said. “We know what our margin of error is. Anytime you have guys out, the margin gets even smaller. We know what we have to do to be successful and if we don’t do those things on any given night, we’re probably not going to be. We have to continue to make that our No. 1 priority every day in practice of this is how we have to win. If we do those things, then we’ll give ourselves a chance. There’s not much variation that can take place for us to have a chance to be successful.”
The Mountaineers are on a roll and they’re looking to keep the momentum going as they face off against Oklahoma State in a crucial home matchup. After a strong showing in their last game, the team is fired up and ready to take on their next challenge.
With a home crowd behind them, the Mountaineers are hoping to use their home court advantage to secure another win and continue their climb up the standings. They know that every game is important and they’re focused on coming out strong and playing their best basketball.
Oklahoma State will be a tough opponent, but the Mountaineers are up for the challenge. They’re confident in their abilities and believe that they have what it takes to come out on top. The team is working hard in practice and preparing diligently for the matchup, knowing that a win could be a crucial step in their season.
Fans can expect an exciting and intense game as the Mountaineers look to continue building momentum and solidify their spot as a top contender. Be sure to tune in and cheer on the team as they aim for another victory at home. Let’s go Mountaineers! #MountaineerPride #HomeCourtAdvantage #BuildingMomentum.
Dogecoin, the largest dog-themed meme coin, has benefited notably from the rising momentum in the broader crypto market, leading to substantial gains in the last few days. As the crypto market rebounds, DOGE has demonstrated price movements and trends that spark the potential for a major rally in the short term.
Bullish Signs For Dogecoin Following A Retest
Looking at Dogecoin’s recent price action, the meme coin has undergone a major movement that hints at an impending upswing shortly. Market expert and investor Trader Tardigrade pointed out the development in a recent analysis on the X (formerly Twitter) platform, capturing the community’s attention.
Specifically, DOGE has successfully broken out of a Descending Triangle formation, triggering fresh optimism among investors for a possible move to higher levels. The breakout confirms the strength of the support level, which increases the probability of upward momentum in the short term.
According to Trader Tardigrade, Dogecoin broke out of the bullish pattern at the bottom, reflecting a resurgence toward its upside trajectory. As a result, the expert is confident that the chart pattern might result in a subsequent explosive increase in DOGE’s price, possibly to a new all-time high.
Key chart pattern breakout sends DOGE in an upward direction | Source: Trader Tardigrade on X
Given the rising positive market sentiment, Dogecoin could attract a wave of old and new investors, which might trigger a near-term upswing. In the meantime, this anticipated move may set the stage for the larger view about Dogecoin surging to the $1 milestone in the ongoing cycle.
It is worth noting that Dogecoin’s breakout from a descending triangle pattern comes prior to a retest of a critical chart pattern. Trader Tardigrade cited a complete retest to the Broadening Wedge formation, fueling optimism about an impending rally.
Typically, the broadening wedge pattern has been a precursor for substantial growth. It is a key chart pattern that indicates elevated price volatility and possible trend reversals. Trader Tardigrade highlighted the retest as a classic bullish price action before notable upswings to new highs.
With DOGE displaying upside potential, investors and traders are closely monitoring key support and resistance levels in order to navigate the meme coin‘s next major move. Considering the similarities in recent price performance with past trends, Dogecoin’s path to a new peak is probable.
January To Be A Bullish Month For DOGE?
Since the beginning of the month, DOGE has seen impressive gains and positive investor sentiment. Observing past price movements in January, the meme coin may be set for extended gains in the coming days.
IC News, examining DOGE’s monthly performances, noted that January has mostly been a pivotal month for Dogecoin. Over the previous 10 years, the meme coin has averaged an outstanding 83.9% return during the month.
However, not all of January has been bullish for DOGE. Out of the last 11 January, Dogecoin has seen positive returns just 5 times, with the median outcome being a 3.86% loss.
DOGE trading at $0.34 on the 1D chart | Source: DOGEUSDT on Tradingview.com
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from Tradingview.com
Dogecoin’s recent breakout from a critical pattern has sparked momentum for a potential uptrend in the popular cryptocurrency. After months of consolidation and sideways trading, Dogecoin has finally broken out of a descending triangle pattern, signaling a potential reversal in its price action.
The breakout has caught the attention of investors and traders alike, who are now eyeing a potential uptrend in Dogecoin’s price. The strong move to the upside has been fueled by positive sentiment in the overall cryptocurrency market, as well as renewed interest in Dogecoin following its recent listing on several major exchanges.
With strong technical indicators and bullish momentum behind it, Dogecoin could be poised for a significant rally in the coming days and weeks. If the cryptocurrency is able to maintain its current momentum and break above key resistance levels, we could see a continuation of the uptrend and potentially new all-time highs in the near future.
As always, investors should exercise caution and conduct their own research before making any trading decisions. However, the breakout from the critical pattern is certainly a positive sign for Dogecoin and could pave the way for further gains in the days ahead.
The Toronto Raptors are out to win consecutive games for just the third time this season when they host the Orlando Magic on Friday night.
With Immanuel Quickley (elbow) back after missing 22 games, Toronto ended an 11-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 130-113 home victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Quickley had 21 points and 15 assists while Scottie Barnes had 33 points and 13 rebounds.
Orlando has dropped three of four after a 105-96 road loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
The Raptors won consecutive games Nov. 18 and 21 to end a seven-game losing streak. They also won back-to-back games Dec. 1 and 3 before going into their 11-game slide. All four of the victories have come at home.
In ending their most recent losing streak, the Raptors shot season bests of 59.1 percent (52-for-88) from the field and 50 percent (16-for-32) from 3-point range. The Raptors also scored a season-best 33 fastbreak points against 21 by Brooklyn.
Quickley’s presence was felt in rapid fashion.
“He’s got a lot of skills but he’s a point guard,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “When he’s bringing the ball up the floor, he is calling plays on the run, recognizing situations. … He’s doing a really good job and he’s my extension on the floor when he plays out there.”
Said Barnes: “The intensity that he brought to the floor on both ends of the floor, it was great. Something that we really missed, and we needed. His playmaking ability, his ability just to get to the paint, his shooting, all that we needed it, his leadership. He was unbelievable, talking throughout the entire game. So, you know, we really missed it.”
The Raptors will play the middle game of a three-game homestand. They are 7-11 at home and just 1-15 on the road.
The Magic are at the end of a two-game trip. They are 7-11 on the road.
Orlando trailed Detroit by 18 points on Wednesday and rallied with a 26-19 advantage in the third quarter. Orlando pulled to within 93-90 with 6:26 remaining before running out of gas down the stretch.
“They picked their pace back up,” said the Magic’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who scored 21 points. “They were aggressive the whole game.”
Caldwell-Pope, who scored 9.1 points per game, had five against Brooklyn on Sunday on 2-for-10 shooting from the field. He was 8 of 11 against the Pistons on Wednesday, including 4 of 6 on 3-point attempts.
“Just being aggressive,” Caldwell-Pope said. “It’s 2025. I told myself just be a little bit more aggressive on the court, shoot the ball when I’m open, try not to pass up as many shots as I have been doing and just continue to be me and get better.”
Jalen Suggs led Orlando with 24 points at Detroit and Wendell Carter Jr. added 15 points. Suggs missed the second half of the 102-101 win over the Nets with a sprained right wrist.
“At this point, everything hurts,” Suggs said. “But it’s part of the journey of an NBA season. So, I’ll get some work done, take care of it with the medical staff, get ready to play in Toronto. It’s all you can do, really.”
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, who has played just five games because of an abdominal injury, has gone through some light contact work at practice but remains out, as does Franz Wagner (oblique).
The teams will be meeting for the first time this season. Orlando was 3-0 against Toronto last season.
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The Toronto Raptors and the Orlando Magic are both in search of much-needed momentum as they head into the second half of the NBA season.
The Raptors, who are currently sitting in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings, have been dealing with injuries to key players like Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet. Despite their struggles, they have shown flashes of potential and are hoping to build on those performances in order to climb up the standings.
On the other hand, the Magic have been dealing with inconsistency and a lack of chemistry on the court. With a new head coach in place and a roster full of young talent, they are looking to find their groove and string together some wins to get their season back on track.
Both teams will be looking to use their upcoming matchups as an opportunity to turn their seasons around and gain some much-needed momentum. Will the Raptors and Magic be able to find their footing and make a push for the playoffs? Only time will tell.
“I’d love to pick [head coach] Andy Reid’s brain,” the Vikings official said. “I’d like to ask him how he kept that Ferrari in the garage so long.”
The “Ferrari” was Kansas City Chiefs rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whom Reid impressively kept off the field for all but the final regular-season game of his rookie year — before eventually turning the starting job over to Mahomes the next season, following a trade that sent Alex Smith to Washington. In terms of redshirting a first-year quarterback and then hitting the ground running, it was a masterstroke of sorts. The Chiefs went 11-4 in Smith’s 15 starts and Mahomes was victorious in the regular-season finale, then Kansas City went on to suffer a nail-biting 22-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
“I’m sure it helped that they had a good veteran quarterback and were winning games,” I said to the member of the Vikings’ brain trust. “Takes some pressure off to force it.”
He nodded.
“True.”
This wasn’t really a conversation about Mahomes and the Chiefs, of course. It was about the Vikings and McCarthy, who was selected with the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft and was engaging in a camp battle with Darnold, who was entering his seventh season in the NFL after being the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2018. Darnold had yet to find solid footing in the league, but he’d had a resurrection of sorts as a backup in 2023 with the San Francisco 49ers. Not only had he beaten out Trey Lance for the No. 2 job behind Brock Purdy, he’d earned significant respect from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan for adeptly picking up the head coach’s scheme while being a strong pillar of support for Purdy in the quarterback room.
When I arrived at Vikings camp in August, the team’s offseason drum beat about Darnold being a very capable veteran starter for the 2024 season had strengthened. Sources in the organization talked about “having the best of both worlds,” with the 27-year-old Darnold looking like he could turn his starting career in the right direction under head coach Kevin O’Connell — while allowing the 21-year-old McCarthy to patiently learn and develop.
“Sam could have a Geno [Smith] turnaround,” one team source said, referencing Smith’s career resurrection with the Seattle Seahawks in his ninth NFL season — long after the league had written him off as a starter.
Welcome to QB Room, Charles Robinson’s weekly quarterback-centric NFL column at Yahoo Sports. (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)
I was skeptical. I’d spent time with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers when Darnold was in those organizations. I’d interviewed him a few times. I’d spent time with his coaches and general managers. And the frustrations about his progressions and decision-making as a passer overlapped between those failed stops. And even when I saw him with the 49ers in 2023 and listened to Shanahan sing Darnold’s praises as a high-level backstop for Purdy, I had my doubts. The NFL percentages usually win out in these scenarios. And they tilt wildly in favor of failed first-round quarterbacks falling into the career backup realm. Especially once they’ve reached their fourth team in seven seasons.
But I also took note that Darnold looked very sharp and decisive in practice. He had an air about him that spoke to having gone through some things in his career, but also a confidence in an offensive scheme that was very familiar despite it being his first connection with O’Connell. I didn’t know if McCarthy was a future Ferrari, but I felt like there was a chance that Darnold could be a very comfortable sedan — getting the Vikings from A to B until the anticipated sports car could be pulled out of the garage.
Nearly five months later, I was wrong. Darnold has been more. And he has presented the Vikings with scenarios that I don’t think even they could have anticipated back in August: choosing between the sports car that you know — but also comes with a significant price tag — or the sports car that you hope lives up to its billing, at a far lower price.
Sam Darnold and the Vikings have a shot at the No. 1 seeds in the NFC playoffs. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
At least, that’s the thought I’d settled on when I started making calls about where the Vikings are at with this forthcoming decision. My assumption being that it would be an either/or scenario — choosing to stay the path toward embracing the upside of McCarthy and the flexibility of his rookie contract, or redraw the blueprint entirely, making Darnold the foundation with a long-term contract. My presumption was that it had to be one or the other. Either Darnold leaves in free agency or via a tag-and-trade scenario, or McCarthy gets dealt in an offseason when multiple teams will be thirsty for quarterback options beyond a weak 2025 draft class and Darnold-less free agency.
I began my calls with a high-ranking executive with a wealth of personal insight on O’Connell, Darnold and Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. And when I challenged him to sort out the either/or scenario in Minnesota and to pick either Darnold or McCarthy, he responded with the answer I hadn’t entertained.
“Why not both?” he said. “It can be both and right now it probably should be both.”
We’ll get into some of the support beams in this argument in a bit. First, I’ll point out that the source wasn’t alone. Several executives with extensive team-building experience, including in the general manager seat, had similar responses. Though their approaches and ideologies to the decision varied, there was a general consensus that threaded all of them together. And that was this: If the Vikings showcase in the postseason that a Super Bowl window has opened with Darnold at the helm, the conversation shifts to some version of “how can you not see where that goes beyond 2024?”
Clearly there is an acceptance that Minnesota can keep Darnold and McCarthy together beyond this season. More interestingly, I think that’s an expectation if the Vikings have a strong showing in the playoffs.
With that in mind, here are three wrinkles to consider as Minnesota nears a critical offseason decision …
What I have heard
Let’s begin with a baseline of what’s going on with Darnold and what I’ve heard about this season: O’Connell is extremely happy with how Darnold has come along and loves the makeup of the quarterback room. If Darnold were to depart, O’Connell believes in him enough to give him an endorsement in any system — not just the iteration of the Shanahan offense that has been tuned through Sean McVay and now O’Connell. With that in mind, the tact the Vikings take with Darnold is going to be whatever O’Connell wants it to be. If Minnesota makes a run in the playoffs and O’Connell wants Darnold to be locked in as the starter moving forward, I think that’s what will happen … alongside some other conversations that will need to take place about continuing to develop McCarthy in the meanwhile.
There certainly isn’t any inclination to move off of McCarthy at this point, so a future Darnold plan would really be about entrenching him as the No. 1 and making McCarthy his (hopefully) high-level developmental No. 2. If the Vikings make the NFC title game or Super Bowl with Darnold as a driving force, I’d be far more shocked to see him depart Minnesota than remain. Especially if there’s tangible postseason proof that the franchise’s Super Bowl window is open right here and right now with him as a starter. To let him go would be to roll the dice that a rookie who just missed his entire first season would be capable of filling those shoes in Year 2 — with no games under his belt. That’s a monumental gamble.
The crux behind ‘why not both?’
So what makes the keep-them-both scenario possible?
The Vikings have the salary-cap space to make it happen — including if the remedy is putting the franchise tag on Darnold for nearly $40 million in 2025. As one executive pointed out, there’s a chance that at least one team will offer Darnold a deal in free agency for $50 million in annual average value. If that’s his worth on the open market, a $40 million cost for a tag and McCarthy’s salary in 2025 of $4.96 million would place the Vikings at slightly less than $45 million in quarterback costs next season. If Darnold were to replicate his 2024 season in 2025 and the Vikings got another year to work with McCarthy, it’s a very justifiable expense, if not a bit of a bargain for the franchise. Of course, the downside is that it would eat into the money the Vikings could offer to other free agents and take cash out of their cap table for extensions. This isn’t great. But between that and letting go of a potential franchise quarterback in the midst of a Super Bowl window, you lean into the centerpiece and put the onus on the personnel department to make up the difference in deft free-agent moves and the best possible draft class.
As for the juggling of two quarterbacks, this wouldn’t be revolutionary. The Green Bay Packers did it with Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love … and before that, Brett Favre and Rodgers. And if you’re old enough to have been around during the career-beginnings of Drew Brees, you’d remember that he was a player former San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith (may he rest in peace) wrote out of his team’s plans in 2004 — only to have Brees write himself back in. The Chargers drafted Eli Manning in 2004, only to have the Manning family and agent Tom Condon force a trade on draft night, which ultimately netted a very pissed-off Smith his replacement for Brees (Philip Rivers, who was the No. 4 overall pick in that draft) and a bushel of other picks. The plan was for Brees and Rivers to have a training camp battle for the starting job. But Rivers held out in camp and Brees took the starting job into the regular season and never gave it back, dialing up two seasons of Pro Bowl-level play. Grudgingly, Smith had to keep Rivers on the bench for those first two years, until Brees suffered torn labrum in his throwing shoulder in the final game of the 2005 season. That opened the door for Rivers to take over the starting job in 2006 and for Brees to head to the New Orleans Saints in free agency.
The bottom line: Other teams have had a wealth of talent at quarterback and figured out a way to balance it until a solution presented itself. The Vikings can do the same.
A knee injury wiped out J.J. McCarthy’s rookie season with the Vikings. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
The options are in the Vikings’ hands, but Darnold has some food for thought, too
To be clear, the Vikings have the ability to franchise tag Darnold with the intent of either playing him in 2025 or trading him this offseason. So they control the situation. And certainly both of those scenarios — keeping him for 2025 or a tag-and-trade — has to be considered, given the level Darnold is playing at. A tag-and-trade would take some free-agent money off the table for the Vikings until a deal could be consummated, but if they have a trade partner in mind, it’s worth playing that long game for some additional draft compensation.
The flip side of this is Darnold. While it seems less likely with each passing week, there is a possibility that his free agency isn’t quite what everyone assumes it will be. There is an inherent red flag with his success in Minnesota: He’s maximizing his ceiling with O’Connell as his head coach, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison as his top two wideouts and T.J. Hockenson as his tight end. There aren’t a plethora of places he can go in free agency with that kind of surrounding talent, so any acquiring team has to take that into account. Unless you’re the 49ers and you’re taking a left turn off of Purdy, or the Los Angeles Rams and moving off Matthew Stafford, there simply aren’t many teams with that kind of juice to help Darnold hit the ground running. And Darnold has to consider that, too. If he can land with Shanahan or McVay with the talent built into those teams and a scheme he’s already running in Minnesota, then it makes fantastic sense for him to move on. But if his option is the Las Vegas Raiders, who have Brock Bowers, Tre Tucker and an endless well of uncertainty … he’s been down that road before in past NFL stops and it did not go well.
There’s a chance Darnold doesn’t get offered any more than two years of guaranteed money in free agency. There’s a chance he doesn’t get offered that by any team other than one at the bottom of the barrel. And there’s a chance that making that kind of move ultimately ends up killing the jumpstart that he’s gotten with the Vikings. Remember, he’s still 27 years old. The next deal he signs should be with a team that he can envision leading for the next 10 years, not just the next four. He should be thinking in a window of his next three four-year contracts and then a retirement. And right now, it’s clear that Minnesota is his best shot at that kind of horizon. Given that this is the case, it’s not beyond comprehension that Darnold could go see what his market value is elsewhere, then revisit everything with the Vikings to see if there is space for a long-term deal that maximizes what both sides are looking for.
That’s a lot to be considered for the Vikings and Darnold. I think they’ll both go through those paces, especially if there’s a long playoff run ahead. This isn’t Washington and Kirk Cousins in 2017 or even Minnesota and Kirk Cousins in 2023. This is a player and a team who are both achieving at a level that looks real and sustainable.
That’s going to require complicated decision-making this offseason. Once it happens, I think the result is leaning toward this entire thing — with both Darnold and McCarthy together — being run back again in 2025, if not beyond it.
Now on to the rest of the QB Room …
(Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)
○ I hate to devote another note to Aaron Rodgers in this space — especially given that the New York Jets‘ season has been over for awhile — but he’s going to be a story this offseason, so the things happening in his orbit still matter. And in this case, one of his comments after Sunday’s 19-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams did not go unnoticed in the upper reaches of the organization. Specifically, it was Rodgers’ comments about being “professional” in the remaining days of a lost season.
The statement:
“The reality of the situation is what it is, but your perspective is something you can change every single day, so what you’re focusing on is the most important thing now. It’s not to change the reality of the situation — being 4-11, out of the playoffs going into an unknown offseason — but you’ve got to figure what it means to be a professional and I think that’s an important part of building culture. The last two weeks we can really see who’s on board moving forward and who is ready to get out. It’s just part of the game. I’ve been on a couple teams where we’re out of it and it’s interesting to watch the practice habits, the preparation habits. Hopefully we’ll do the right thing and that means a lot because everybody’s watching and it’s a who-you-know business. There will be interesting conversations in the next couple weeks, but just focus on the relationships that we have with each other and try to finish this thing out like a pro.”
Aaron Rodgers on the Jets:
“You gotta figure out what it means to be a professional. That’s an important part of building culture. The last two weeks we can really see who’s on board moving forward and who is ready to get out.”
In a vacuum, it’s a statement that resonates in the leadership of almost any NFL franchise. The Jets are anything but a vacuum at this stage, with layers of different emotions about Rodgers having set in. And some of them are most definitely driven by the firings of head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas during the course of the season. Both men still have confidants in the building who don’t think either should have been fired — especially given the way the season has played out in the wake (2-8 since Saleh’s departure and 1-3 since Douglas was ousted) — and some of them still bristle at Rodgers’ “nuanced” views on many things.
One of those was definitely Rodgers sounding off on what leadership looks like in the final weeks of the season. While it’s clear there’s agreement on watching to see who packs up early this year, it’s still not forgotten that Rodgers skipped the Jets’ full squad mandatory minicamp in the summer for a trip to Egypt — and then later explained his reasoning by framing the event as little more as a few more glorified OTA days. Elements of the coaching staff and front office did not agree with that assessment, nor the message it sent to the rest of the team. And now that Rodgers is talking about being a professional and showing up when nothing is on the line in terms of the postseason, there’s a prickly underbelly question of, “What about in minicamp when everyone shows up but the most important player on the team … when everything is still on the line?” Especially, to borrow from Rodgers’ own words, when it comes to “building culture.”
Rodgers’ critics inside the Jets won’t say it publicly because they can’t — and they’re also leery of his unchecked pulpit on “The Pat McAfee Show” — but some definitely feel there is hypocrisy to talking about showing up and building culture when you’ve already showcased a habit of choosing not to do it based on your own schedule and what you see as important. That’s the Rodgers distortion field: what he views as important, what everyone else views as important … and what kind of gerrymandering he commits when the two don’t align in his mind. (See: his views on created distractions versus his created distractions.)
I don’t know what this means for Rodgers and the Jets in 2025. But there is some real fatigue here, and Rodgers isn’t the only one feeling it.
○ Based on conversations I had with members of the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ brain trust while spending time with the team in training camp, I think Russell Wilson is at an extremely critical juncture of his season. The goal in finding a long-term starter for the Steelers, or even a bridge starter to cover beyond the 2025 season, was to lean into a leader who could move the offense, score points and showcase ball security in critical games and moments. Wilson had some early success, but three straight wide-margin losses to playoff-bound teams — all showcasing questionable decisions and a solid disparity in QB play — has cooled the landscape in Pittsburgh.
Barring a collapse against the Cincinnati Bengals in the season finale and then a clunker in the playoffs, I still think Pittsburgh will pursue a contract with Wilson in the offseason. But the reality has sunk in that building a Super Bowl window around Wilson is going to require heavy lifting this offseason and offer only a short time to make it all come together. With that in mind, I think the initial thrust of an offer would be something short, possibly three years, that offers the Steelers some relative escapability after Year 1. This can still change with the next few games, of course. Especially with the thin quarterback market this offseason. But the approach to Wilson’s offseason deal is getting more conservative by the week.
○ There will be some interesting names — and very helpful quarterback weapons — that surface in trade buzz this offseason at the wide receiver position. Among them will be three aging stars in the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp and San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel. But keep one potential monster in mind: 2022 offensive rookie of the year Garrett Wilson, who is on the cusp of his third straight 1,000-yard season with the New York Jets but once again is facing an offseason of questions at the quarterback spot.
It’s been a frustrating experience for Wilson, dealing with chaos on offense his first two seasons, then the implosion this year despite Aaron Rodgers playing all season. Depending on how some things shake out after the season with the coaching staff, front office and roster, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilson’s camp pursues a trade or the next Jets regime shops him to see what his value is on the trade market.
○ While I don’t think this is the offseason any significant move happens, I think we can begin another “pre-watch” this offseason for a move with Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. The results with Murray in 2024 have been inconsistent and there’s at least some concern over his rapport with rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. and the inability to turn on the scoring production of talented tight end Trey McBride — who has 92 catches for 958 yards but zero touchdown receptions. Murray is 1-4 in his past five starts with seven turnovers and five total touchdowns, reigniting a career trend of late-season plummeting when it matters most. The regime that took over the Cardinals in 2023 has been patient with Murray, but I expect there will be some pressure put on him this offseason, with the addition of a veteran backup with some starting capabilities. All with an eye toward a potential reboot at quarterback after the 2025 offseason if he can’t kick it into gear next season.
The Minnesota Vikings are making waves in the NFL offseason with rumors swirling that they are considering keeping quarterbacks Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy together for the 2025 season.
Darnold, the former first-round pick of the New York Jets, has shown flashes of potential but has struggled to find consistency throughout his career. McCarthy, a highly-touted prospect out of high school, has yet to see significant playing time in the NFL but has the tools to develop into a star quarterback.
The idea of pairing these two talented signal-callers together has gained momentum in recent weeks, with sources close to the team indicating that the coaching staff is intrigued by the potential of having both Darnold and McCarthy on the roster.
While it remains to be seen if the Vikings will ultimately go through with this unconventional quarterback room setup, fans and analysts alike are buzzing about the possibilities of what these two young quarterbacks could achieve together. Stay tuned for more updates as this story continues to develop.
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon
Customers find the headphones comfortable and with good battery life. They can wear them for hours while exercising without discomfort. However, some customers have experienced connectivity issues, such as dropping the Bluetooth connection or disconnecting from existing devices. The touch controls are disliked by many customers. There are mixed opinions on sound quality, build quality, value for money, and functionality. Maximum audio resolution with Sennheiser Signature Sound: Enjoy premium music quality all-day long thanks to the headphone’s audiophile-inspired 42mm transducer system and aptX Adaptive.Specific uses for product : Music Personalized sound via the Sennheiser Smart Control App: Adjust the sound to your individual listening preferences via the integrated equalizer, presets and sound modes – for a unique sound experience. Stay immersed in your music: Thanks to the headphone’s Adaptive Noise Cancellation, you stay distraction-free – and with the Adjustable Transparency Mode you stay in touch with the world around you. Exceptional comfort and long battery life: Lightweight, foldable design with padded headband and deeply cushioned ear pads for long-lasting comfort – up to 60 hours of playback time with fast charging. Crystal-clear calls: The four digital beamforming microphones ensure high-quality voice pick-up and automatically suppress wind noise for optimized calls and easier access to the voice assistant. Included components: Headphones, Carry case, USB-C charging cable, Audio cable 3.5mm and 2.5mm jacks, Airplane adapter Top-Tier Battery Life
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