2025-26 NFL Thread

[MU82]

So fun. I especially feel happy for Darnold. He was great!

[wadesworld]

Lot of teams/coaches/GMs/owners gave up on Sam

None after a 13-3 season to hand the reins over to JJ McCarthy.

[Jay Bee]

Oh Sam, how we miss you.

None after a 13-3 season to hand the reins over to JJ McCarthy.

We were 14-3. You may have missed it, but the NFL season moved to 17 regular season games a few years ago.

[GB Warrior]

Oh Sam, how we miss you.

We were 14-3. You may have missed it, but the NFL season moved to 17 regular season games a few years ago.

That 14th win is what told me it was time to move on from Sam

[tower912]

Darnold was beaten up pretty good over how last season ended.   A year ago, the narrative was that the team and the QB whisperer in Minnesota had carried him and could do the same for JJ.  Darnold had shown he still didn't have it and was dodging ghost defenders and throwing it to imaginary receivers in the big moment.

Congratulations to Darnold and the Seahawks.

[CreightonWarrior]

Darnold was beaten up pretty good over how last season ended.   A year ago, the narrative was that the team and the QB whisperer in Minnesota had carried him and could do the same for JJ.  Darnold had shown he still didn't have it and was dodging ghost defenders and throwing it to imaginary receivers in the big moment.

Congratulations to Darnold and the Seahawks.

Yup, everyone, including me, was waiting for him to blown up and he hasn't (yet!).

Drake Maye vs Sam Darnold in the Super Bowl, who would've thought.

[tower912]

I enjoy a good redemption story.

[Billy Hoyle]

Choosing JJ McCarthy over Sam Darnold. Lol. Let alone using a first round pick on JJ McCarthy.

Darnold came to the Vikings as a reclamation project and only signed for a year. He really only started because McCarthy got injured and missed the entire season. It's not like Darnold had been ripping it up the previous seasons, and his signing was a big coup for Minnesota.

[Billy Hoyle]

President James K Polk's big moment is coming!

Five schools have produced a U.S. president and a Super Bowl-winning QB.

- Delaware: Biden/Flacco
- Miami (OH): Harrison/Big Ben
- Michigan: Ford/Brady
- Stanford: Hoover/Elway/Plunkett
- Navy: Carter/Staubach

If Drake Maye wins this year, UNC will be the sixth (James K. Polk).

[wadesworld]

Darnold came to the Vikings as a reclamation project and only signed for a year. He really only started because McCarthy got injured and missed the entire season. It's not like Darnold had been ripping it up the previous seasons, and his signing was a big coup for Minnesota.

No doubt, but they had a year of data showing a 14-3 (sorry for shorting your awesome squad, JB!) team and decided they wanted the guy whose college coach wouldn't let him throw the ball in their biggest games.

I laughed when people were talking about McCarthy leaving Michigan early, laughed when he was projected in the first two rounds, laughed when it was clear he was a first round pick, and laughed when he went in the top 10.  Darnold hadn't been a good NFL QB, and he had a bad game in their Playoff game.  But he still led a team to a 14-3 record.  I know I'm giving that guy a chance to show he was more the guy that he was over 17 regular season games and not the one who played poorly in a one game sample size if I'm a team coming off of a 14-3 season.  How many teams have moved on from a starting QB that just had a .700 winning percentage, let alone an .824 winning percentage?

And now that dude's in a Super Bowl while the Vikings are making up injuries because the guy they chose STINKS.

[Billy Hoyle]

No doubt, but they had a year of data showing a 14-3 (sorry for shorting your awesome squad, JB!) team and decided they wanted the guy whose college coach wouldn't let him throw the ball in their biggest games.

I laughed when people were talking about McCarthy leaving Michigan early, laughed when he was projected in the first two rounds, laughed when it was clear he was a first round pick, and laughed when he went in the top 10.  Darnold hadn't been a good NFL QB, and he had a bad game in their Playoff game.  But he still led a team to a 14-3 record.  I know I'm giving that guy a chance to show he was more the guy that he was over 17 regular season games and not the one who played poorly in a one game sample size if I'm a team coming off of a 14-3 season.  How many teams have moved on from a starting QB that just had a .700 winning percentage, let alone an .824 winning percentage?

And now that dude's in a Super Bowl while the Vikings are making up injuries because the guy they chose STINKS.

Considering what Darnold got from the Seahawks (3 years for $100 million), could the Vikings have afforded that? Though I guess the cap really doesn't matter since everyone can find a way to circumvent it.

[WhiteTrash]

Considering what Darnold got from the Seahawks (3 years for $100 million), could the Vikings have afforded that? Though I guess the cap really doesn't matter since everyone can find a way to circumvent it.

Is that true? Sure seems like a lot of 'cap casualties' every year. The Chiefs and Bills have shed really good players due to the cap.

[Billy Hoyle]

Is that true? Sure seems like a lot of 'cap casualties' every year. The Chiefs and Bills have shed really good players due to the cap.

It seems they're not shedding stars, though.

[MU82]

Considering what Darnold got from the Seahawks (3 years for $100 million), could the Vikings have afforded that? Though I guess the cap really doesn't matter since everyone can find a way to circumvent it.

I don't know the Vikings' financial situation. I do know that 3 years at $100 million is a bargain for a Pro Bowl QB.

[JWags85]

I genuinely feel bad for Browns fans with this coaching search.  I get why its not attractive, between the QB situation, Andrew Berry being a bad GM, and Myles Garrett potentially leaving.  But damn.  Schwartz is a phenomenal DC, but I'm not sure he's not another Fangio type always meant to be a DC.  And hiring internal after the last few years seems foolish.

And really not sold on Scheelhaase.  It just SCREAMS desperation hire based on association with McVay.  Time at U of I under Beckman and Lovie, not great offense cred.  Then his time at ISU isn't sterling either.  Matt Campbell did a good job and was respected for a reason, but it wasn't an offensive show.  The last 3 years in Ames that Scheelhaase was a coordinator they ranked 75, 113, and 55th in offense.  Sheesh

[Pakuni]

I genuinely feel bad for Browns fans with this coaching search.  I get why its not attractive, between the QB situation, Andrew Berry being a bad GM, and Myles Garrett potentially leaving.  But damn.  Schwartz is a phenomenal DC, but I'm not sure he's not another Fangio type always meant to be a DC.  And hiring internal after the last few years seems foolish.

And really not sold on Scheelhaase.  It just SCREAMS desperation hire based on association with McVay.  Time at U of I under Beckman and Lovie, not great offense cred.  Then his time at ISU isn't sterling either.  Matt Campbell did a good job and was respected for a reason, but it wasn't an offensive show.  The last 3 years in Ames that Scheelhaase was a coordinator they ranked 75, 113, and 55th in offense.  Sheesh

I think Scheelhaase was OC at Iowa State for only one year.
But yeah, not much of a resume. I think with him, and Davis Webb, teams are asking themselves if it's better to hire a guy too early and live with some growing pains than miss out on a guy who could be a star. If two years from now Scheelhaase is the next Ben Johnson or Udinski is the next Liam Coen, Cleveland isn't landing that guy.

On another note, McDaniel signed his contract with the Chargers today. He'd been holding out apparently for the Raiders job, but they're looking elsewhere (Kubiak, maybe, if they're willing to wait two more weeks?)

[Pakuni]

And some of you idiots said he'd be a bust.

https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/2015847691293745651?s=20

[jesmu84]

And some of you idiots said he'd be a bust.

https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/2015847691293745651?s=20

Trubisky walked so Sanders could run

[JWags85]

I think Scheelhaase was OC at Iowa State for only one year.
But yeah, not much of a resume. I think with him, and Davis Webb, teams are asking themselves if it's better to hire a guy too early and live with some growing pains than miss out on a guy who could be a star. If two years from now Scheelhaase is the next Ben Johnson or Udinski is the next Liam Coen, Cleveland isn't landing that guy.

Yea, I lumped in his 2 years as their running game coordinator as well.  Basically his first year as their RG coordinator, they had Purdy and Breece Hall and had a decent offense, but still not top 50 and finished 7-6 with those guys.  And then ISU fell off a cliff offensively.

Udinski withdrew himself from the search this morning, but otherwise I agree.  I think Davis Webb is getting the Sean Payton halo hard, but I feel like I remember him being highly regarded with film from his time as a backup, but maybe I'm mixing him up.

I'm a huge fan of McVay, he's been incredibly innovative and bounced back from that SB hangover year really well.  But I have to wonder at what point FOs are going to stop being enamored with guys just from being assistants with him, cause his coaching tree is realistically still actually nothing more than coaching vaporware.

-MLF is the most successful but he spent a single season with him his first year and was far more experienced than him overall when he was hired.

-Zac Taylor had 2 good seasons and fell to pieces.

-Brandon Staley was a mess, bordering on disaster by the end.

-KOC is his most successful true protege, but hey, he just ditched Darnold for JJ 

I mean, speaking of Davis Webb, Payton's tree isn't any better despite him being as good as advertised post-Saints and totally worth all the Broncos gave up.

[MU82]

And some of you idiots said he'd be a bust.

https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/2015847691293745651?s=20

41 QBs turned it down.

[MU82]

Given USC's illustrious football history, it's amazing that Darnold will be the first QB from the school ever to start in a Super Bowl.

[Shaka Shart]

I don't know the Vikings' financial situation. I do know that 3 years at $100 million is a bargain for a Pro Bowl QB.

Shadeur is a fraction of that!

[Pakuni]

Given USC's illustrious football history, it's amazing that Darnold will be the first QB from the school ever to start in a Super Bowl.

Blame Kimo von Oelhoffen.

[Pakuni]

I think Davis Webb is getting the Sean Payton halo hard, but I feel like I remember him being highly regarded with film from his time as a backup, but maybe I'm mixing him up.

Webb is apparently a total football nerd who has a stacks of notebooks filled with info from every game he's been a part of since college.

-MLF is the most successful but he spent a single season with him his first year and was far more experienced than him overall when he was hired.

-Zac Taylor had 2 good seasons and fell to pieces.

-Brandon Staley was a mess, bordering on disaster by the end.

-KOC is his most successful true protege, but hey, he just ditched Darnold for JJ 

I think this is all fair. I never loved Taylor as a coach, but he's been legit snakebit by injuries the past few seasons. Still kind of surprised he survived Black Monday, but maybe Mike Brown doesn't want to pay him not to work.

[JWags85]

Given USC's illustrious football history, it's amazing that Darnold will be the first QB from the school ever to start in a Super Bowl.

I was talking to a USC alum buddy of mine about it this morning, and it's one of those facts that seems crazy but then you look at it, and it makes total sense. For as legendary and successful USC was for decades, they never really produced QBs.  Post WW2 until Carson Palmer went #1 in 2003, USC had 2...TWO QBs drafted in the first round in 60 years.  If you go post merger, it was only Todd Marinovich till Palmer, and we know how his career turned out.  Dozens of conference championships and a half dozen national championships in that time, but not with studs at QB.

Then even more crazy, 1st round picks aside, till date, in the history of the NFL, the number of USC QBs that were their teams starting QB for 5 or more seasons, not including Darnold who just finished his 5th,... just 3.  Matt Cassell, Carson Palmer, and the consummate journeyman, Rodney Peete. So that makes it seem a little more reasonable.

All the "Star" QBs at USC, whether Heisman winners/finalists or highly touted recruits, have all come post Pete Carroll.  And with the exception of Palmer and now Darnold and an incomplete on Caleb Williams, they've all been disappointing in the NFL. I mean Matt Cassell is a top 3 USC QB of all time, in NFL performance terms, and he's best known for being the backip when Brady blew his knee.  Mark Sanchez is best known for the butt fumble, and he has a VERY real argument for being a top 5 USC NFL QB.