Kevin O’Connell Says Vikings Made Calls Before Quiet Trade Deadline
After a few rocky weeks with veteran quarterback Carson Wentz under center, the Minnesota Vikings may have turned the corner this past week with second-year gunslinger J.J. McCarthy returning to the gridiron. The Vikings were able to pull off an impressive win over the division rival Detroit Lions on the road at Ford Field, with McCarthy putting on a show with three total touchdowns.
With McCarthy breathing new life into the Vikings by leading the team to a much-needed win over the Lions to get back to .500 with a record of 4-4, Minnesota could be a frisky team in the NFC moving forward, which prompted questions about whether the team should make some moves ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 4.
Vikings Were Active Ahead of the NFL Trade
Deadline
With Wentz out for the season and McCarthy having played only a handful of games in his career so far, the obvious need is at the quarterback position to get some insurance behind their new face of the franchise, who has dealt with numerous injuries in his short time with the team.
Although the need is there, it doesn’t seem like the Vikings were too intent on making a move ahead of the NFL trade deadline, even though the team’s general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, was making a lot of calls, according to head coach Kevin O’Connell, who said the following to KFAN’s Paul Allen on Tuesday.
“I would say the Whoppers are more on the whiteboard right now with the coaching staff plays more so than me being involved directly right now with any of that stuff,” O’Connell said. “But I know there’s a lot of calls going on. Kwesi and the staff do a great job with that and we’ll see where the day goes.”
Adofo-Mensah is known for making trades ahead of the deadline, as he has done every year since taking the job as general manager in Minnesota, via Purple FTW! Podcast’s X account.
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has made at least one move at the NFL Trade Deadline every year he’s been in power.
2022: TE TJ Hockenson, Lions 2023: QB Josh Dobbs, Cardinals 2023: LG Ezra Cleveland to Jaguars 2024: OT Cam Robinson, Jaguars
What will Kwesi cook up this year?
However, for whatever reason, the Vikings brass decided to stand pat and ride out the rest of the season as currently constructed, which could be the right move or might end up coming back to haunt them, especially at the quarterback position, with Max Brosmer sitting behind McCarthy on the depth chart.
Is J.J. McCarthy the Real Deal for the Vikings?
Over the course of three games played during the 2025 NFL season thus far, McCarthy has shown flashes of brilliance, which is why the Vikings brought him in, but he’s also had some rough moments, showing that he’s still a very young player who needs a lot of polish to reach his true potential.
However, he possesses some admirable qualities that teams seek in their starting quarterback, such as leadership and a no-quit mentality, which is a promising sign that McCarthy can become what the team envisions.
It’s too early to tell if McCarthy truly is the real deal under center in Minnesota. Still, the potential is there, and he’ll have his work cut out for him moving forward, with some tough matchups left on the schedule against the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers (twice), Seattle Seahawks and Lions.
Broncos QB Bo Nix Gives Strong Reaction After Trade Deadline Decision
Getty
Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos reacts against the Houston Texans.
The Denver Broncos let the 2025 trade deadline come and go without getting anything done. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix offered strong thoughts about why that was. He also spoke about what it means for the team this season.
It was not as if the Broncos did not try. However, their desire fell short of what was required to make something happen.
For Nix, the decision came as little to no surprise.
Bo Nix: ‘Great’ Broncos Confident Enough to Stand Pat at Trade Deadline
GettyBo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos reacts after defeating the New York Giants.
Nix fielded a question about what is says to the team that the Broncos did not go all out to add a piece. Particularly, he was asked what it says about head coach Sean Payton’s faith in the group.
Nix called it “great.”
“Obviously, if there’s a need, you want to get it,” Nix told reporters on November 4. “But we feel like we got all the pieces. And so, sometimes when something like that happens, it shakes things up. And we got something good going, and we just want to keep riding this wave and finding ways to win.”
Much of the conversation around the Broncos’ trade plans stemmed from seeking help for Nix, be it another target or protection amid injuries to their offensive line.
The Broncos attempted to bring in tight ends and explored wide receiver trades.
Their biggest addition was veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis, who will have a bit role on the field and provide a locker room presence. Other than that, it is up to Nix and his current crop of pass catchers to take the necessary next steps.
Broncos WR Reacts to Trade Deadline
GettyTroy Franklin #11 of the Denver Broncos reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts.
One of Nix’s top targets, current Broncos wideout and former Oregon Ducks teammate Troy Franklin, spoke candidly about the Broncos’ lack of action at the deadline.
According to Franklin, it was not surprising based on what they had been told.
“Sean (Payton has) been telling us all year he loves our team, loves the receiver group and we don’t really need anything, so he’s kept his word,” Franklin said, per The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson in a post on X on November 4.
Payton said leading up to the deadline that the Broncos would be open to a deal. However, that was only if it provided actual value, and not just to make something happen.
Franklin “especially” did not expect a WR move, per Tomasson, but Denver explored its options.
“The Broncos did NOT make a trade before the trade deadline,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens reported on X on November 4. “From my understanding, they looked into making moves, but didn’t force anything.”
Bo Nix: Broncos Looking to ‘Improve Faster’ Than Competition
GettyBo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos on the field after defeating the Houston Texans.
Nix acknowledged the Broncos’ fourth-quarter prowess has belied the difficulty of scoring. He joked that not facing a top defense like the Houston Texans in Week 9 would help. He also noted that the Broncos are far from satisfied with so much of the season left.
At 7-2, tied for the best record in the NFL, and riding a six-game winning streak is nice, but hardly their end goal.
Their main focus is continuing to improve.
“We have so many things that we want to correct. And we feel like we haven’t even played a complete game offensively, much less, as a team. And so, I think once we start doing that, then we got to be careful about being too lax. But until then, we’re all in a growth mindset, and we’re worried about the things that we can fix,” Nix told reporters on Tuesday.
“Because there’s several of them from each position that we’re trying to focus on. And until we’re hitting all the ones that we need to hit, I don’t think we’re going to be able to be relaxed. Because we have a lot of guys that are competitive. We don’t have a bunch of frontrunners. We just got a locker room full of guys that are trying to race to improve, and improve faster than everybody else in the league.”
