Carson Wentz is set to start Monday night against the Buffalo Bills, but that move may not be enough to quiet the quarterback chatter around Minnesota.
Kevin O’Connell told reporters Thursday that Wentz will get the nod, with Kyler Murray dealing with a hamstring injury that will be “week-to-week.” That opens the door for a change under center, but it doesn’t necessarily close the book on the Vikings’ search for help.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton floated a trade idea that would send San Francisco 49ers backup Mac Jones to Minnesota before Tuesday’s deadline. Moton pointed to the possibility that the 49ers could ask for a second-round pick and more, but argued the price would be justified for a Vikings team still trying to settle the position after Kirk Cousins’ departure following the 2023 season.
“According to The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt, the San Francisco 49ers might demand a second-round pick and more for Jones, but it would be worth it for the Vikings, who have been trying to stabilize the quarterback position since Kirk Cousins' departure following the 2023 season,” Moton wrote on Wednesday.
Moton also highlighted Jones’ production last season, when he stepped in for an injured Brock Purdy.
“In 11 games (eight starts) last year, Jones threw for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions,” Moton continued. “He was a highly productive and efficient starter while filling in for an injured Brock Purdy.”
The Vikings’ depth chart only adds to the pressure. With Wentz now in line to start, Minnesota would be one injury away from turning to second-year quarterback Max Brosmer. That makes the need for another arm in the room feel even more immediate.
A trade won’t be simple, though. San Francisco may be reluctant to help an NFC opponent, especially with the 49ers sitting at 6-1 and scheduled to face Minnesota on November 22 in Mexico City. Jones would give the Vikings another option now and, potentially, a boost in that matchup too.
Minnesota is expected to explore quarterback help before the deadline. Jones stands out as one of the more appealing names, but whether the 49ers are willing to deal him is another matter.
In Other News...
Alabama Stayed In The SEC Hunt Thanks To One Huge Return
Alabama left Tiger Stadium with a result that mattered far more than the yardage chart suggested, beating LSU 31-13 to move to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the SEC. Even while getting outgained and losing the first-down battle, the Crimson Tide leaned on a defense that repeatedly bent without breaking, holding LSU to one touchdown and two field goals while coming up with key fourth-down stops that kept the game from tilting.
Ryan Coleman-Williams gave the offense the kind of spark that can change a November race, returning from injury and making an impact in the return game before adding a touchdown run. With the win, Alabama kept itself squarely in the SEC hunt and strengthened its College Football Playoff position, the kind of payoff that can make a tough road night feel a lot bigger than the final score alone. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas SEC Title Path Now Runs Through A Messy Tiebreaker Race
With three weeks left in the SEC regular season, Alabamas path to Atlanta is starting to look less like a simple race and more like a math problem. The latest look at the conference standings lays out how the Crimson Tide and Georgia can still control the title game picture, but it also shows how much depends on the results of the games still ahead and the order in which the league sorts out ties.
If Georgia wins out, the second spot in the SEC championship game could come down to a tiebreaker chain involving Alabama, Tennessee, Texas and Kentucky, with several scenarios still alive depending on how the remaining schedule breaks. An unofficial SEC tiebreaker simulator is helping map out those possibilities, but for Alabama the larger point is clear enough: the Tide can still get there, even if the route now runs through a messy set of assumptions and a few results they will not control. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Turned Its LSU Win Into A Bigger Playoff Debate
Kevin Costners appearance on the Tiger Walk before LSUs 31-13 loss to Alabama added a little Hollywood sheen to an already high-stakes Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Paul Finebaum even weighed in on Costner being there alongside Lane Kiffin, but once the game kicked off, the Crimson Tide made the biggest statement of all by controlling the moments that mattered most.
Alabamas defense kept turning LSU away on fourth down, and the Tigers finished 0 for 4 in those situations while struggling to cash in on scoring chances. For Alabama, the win did more than settle a rivalry game in the moment, it pushed the playoff conversation a little louder, with the Tide looking more and more like a team built for November pressure. [Read more 🡒]