Purple Headlines of the Week: Vikings DC Search Hits a Snag, Rodgers’ Future, Brady Retires
Josh Frey
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Another week of offseason rumors and stories is in the books, and this ended up being a very busy week in the NFL world. Here are some of the biggest purple headlines that came out over the course of the week, including the updated news regarding the Vikings DC search.
Who Will Be the Vikings Next Defensive Coordinator?
The Minnesota Vikings search for a defensive coordinator looks like it will extend into a third week, especially after reports came in on Friday that their search had hit a bit of a snag. Thus far, the Vikings have interviewed four candidates: Sean Desai, Brian Flores, Ryan Nielsen, and Mike Pettine.
Nielsen has already accepted a defensive coordinator position with the Atlanta Falcons, eliminating him from the Vikings options. Then on Friday, it was announced first by Mike Klis of 9NEWS that Sean Desai would be withdrawing himself from consideration for the Vikings job, and instead, he is focused on interviewing with the Denver Broncos.
This is frustrating news, but it also opens the door for another candidate that the Vikings are apparently very interested in: 2022 Broncos DC Ejiro Evero. Minnesota is reportedly hoping to land an interview with Evero before making their decision regarding the defensive coordinator position.
Of course, Denver has to approve Minnesota’s request to interview Evero, but with Denver also expressing interest in both Desai and Flores, it would seem that the Vikings will get one if either of those other two are hired for Sean Payton’s staff.
Speaking of Sean Payton…
As part of a very busy stretch of days in the NFL, the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos officially agreed to a trade that sent former Saints head coach as well as a 2024 third-round pick to the Broncos in exchange for the No. 30 pick in the 2023 Draft (No. 29 if we eliminate the pick forfeited by the Miami Dolphins) and another second-round pick in 2024.
This trade has not only complicated the Vikings defensive coordinator search for 2023 (as discussed above), but it also complicates Minnesota’s schedule in 2023. The Vikings already have a difficult schedule next season considering they have a first-place set of opponents, but they also have the Denver Broncos as one of their road opponents.
This means the Vikings will have their first rematch with Sean Payton since 2020’s Christmas Day debacle that had the Saints defeating the Vikings 52-33 in New Orleans. Alvin Kamara rushed for 6 TDs in that game, tying an NFL record.
The Aaron Rodgers Saga Continues
Aaron Rodgers made another appearance on The Pat McAfee Show this week where he once again discussed his NFL future. Of course, the Packers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018 by finishing 8-9 after their Sunday Night Football loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
In this latest interview, Rodgers didn’t shed much light on a decision, but he did open up about the timetable of when we can expect a final decision. Rodgers said during the show, “I feel confident that in a couple weeks I’ll feel more strongly about one of the two decisions.”
The two decisions are, of course, returning for a 19th NFL season or retiring. If Rodgers returns for the 2023 NFL season, there’s also a chance that it isn’t in a Packers uniform. The quarterback has been connected to the New York Jets in trade rumors recently, and those rumors only intensified with Nathaniel Hackett taking the offensive coordinator position there.
Tom Brady Retires Again
While one great quarterback contemplates retirement, another officially retired this week. For the second time in the past 12 months, Tom Brady has announced that he will be retiring from football. This time, though, it feels very real.
The Buccaneers won the NFC South this season by the skin of their teeth, but it had more to do with the lack of quality within the division rather than the actual talent on the Buccaneers roster. Tampa Bay finished 8-9 while every other team in the division went 7-10.
Brady remained a good quarterback in 2022, passing for 4694 yards and 25 TDs during the regular season. Injuries on the roster as well as a weakened rushing attack really were the reasons that the Buccaneers season derailed more than the play of their 45-year-old quarterback, which truly is incredible.
The Vikings are set to face the Buccaneers in 2023, and that matchup likely gets easier with Tom Brady no longer around. If Brady is in fact done, he finishes his career with an incredible stat line of 89,214 passing yards and 649 passing touchdowns. Both stats, along with his seven Super Bowls, are NFL records.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.