Lions
- Lions GM Brad Holmes said they will be “urgent” about upgrading the offensive line this offseason, per Tim Twentyman.
- Holmes made clear they did not ignore addressing their offensive line last offseason and was unaware former C Frank Ragnow was retiring until late May, via Eric Woodyard.
- Lions GM Brad Holmes asked if RB David Montgomery will be in Detroit: “Those are discussions that we’re gonna have to have in-depth. …We love David Montgomery. He’s a good football player. …He deserves to be in a situation where his skill set can be utilized.” (Colton Pouncy)
J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy finished his first season as the Vikings’ starting quarterback, making headlines for his high-energy during games. Minnesota G Will Fries said he enjoys McCarthy’s swagger on the field.
“I absolutely love playing with J.J.,” Fries said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “What a tremendous leader he is for how young he is. He’s got a lot of moxie and swagger to him. Like anyone, he is going to continue to get better. But man, he is so much fun to play with. Every time he goes out and gets that look in his eye in the huddle, you know at any moment he is going to catch fire and do something big. I’m excited for his growth, his development and his future. He’s so much fun to play with. I’ll go into battle with him and protect him.”
McCarthy elected to pull himself from the season-finale after feeling the effects of the hairline fracture in his hand. Although McCarthy feels bad about leaving the game, he thinks he made the right decision.
“It feels bad on my heart, but I was happy I made the right decision,” McCarthy said.
Fries commented on the situation, praising McCarthy’s toughness and drive to play.
“I just feel for him because I know how much he loves the guys and cares about playing,” Fries said. “For him to go out there and play through a fracture in his hand, it’s kind of devastating. You know how much he wants to be out there. You can’t really teach that with guys. Some guys have it and some guys don’t. He’s one of those guys. You just feel for him because he did everything he could to be out there. It didn’t work out for him in the second half of the game because of the pain or whatever, but he’s a tough kid. You can’t ask for more than that.”
Vikings
- Per Ben Goessling, McCarthy said his hand started throbbing at halftime, and he felt that since he couldn’t throw at that point, he should take himself out of the game.
- ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler points out that if Vikings DC Brian Flores re-ups with Minnesota now, he can’t take a lateral move with another team looking for a defensive coordinator, so the expectation is it’s a while before Flores’ status for 2026 is resolved.
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