{"id":674897,"date":"2026-05-30T22:41:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T22:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/674897\/"},"modified":"2026-05-30T22:41:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T22:41:13","slug":"commanders-news-a-blast-of-jayden-daniels-terry-mclaurin-ota-optimism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/674897\/","title":{"rendered":"Commanders news: A blast of Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin OTA optimism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Editor\u2019s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts &amp; tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commanders.com\/news\/mike-sainristil-commanders-defense-slot-outside\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Whether he\u2019s inside or outside, Mike Sainristil just wants to make plays<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">There\u2019s more of a focus on creating better matchups &#8212; a significant departure from the past two years &#8212; so players having defined roles is more of a concept as opposed to a hard-and-fast rule.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">But players like Mike Sainristil aren\u2019t concerned about where they are on the field as long as they\u2019re out there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">\u201cI\u2019ve always been a sponge,\u201d he said after Wednesday\u2019s OTA practice. \u201cNo matter where you put me at, I\u2019m going to do my best [to] make sure whatever you got me doing, I\u2019m going to get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Sainristil is used to being moved around by now. Injuries in Washington\u2019s secondary have forced him to play both in the slot, where he played in college, and on the outside. Sainristil\u2019s strengths at both spots have created some speculation about how he fits in defensive coordinator Daronte Jones\u2019 system &#8212; a question even Sainristil doesn\u2019t have an answer to at this point. Rather than worry about it, Sainristil\u2019s approach has been to learn as much as possible and let the situation sort itself out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Sainristil\u2019s track record thus far makes him a fit for both inside and outside, which ironically could make him a fit for Jones\u2019 scheme, which will adopt much of Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores\u2019 philosophies on using multiple fronts to create confusion for offenses. Jones has a similar belief, saying during his introductory press conference that good defense is more about putting players in position to make plays as opposed to having them line up in specific spots on the field.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/atozsports.com\/nfl\/washington-commanders-news\/jayden-daniels-terry-mclaurin-already-look-like-2024-form-commanders-otas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin already look like they\u2019re back to the 2024 form that helped Commanders get to playoffs<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">[T]he Jayden Daniels-Terry McLaurin connection: it\u2019s back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\"><a href=\"https:\/\/atozsports.com\/nfl\/washington-commanders-news\/commanders-otas-injury-updates-franchise-legend-receives-honor-building-an-offense\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Commanders\u2019 latest OTA session<\/a> featured a highlight-worthy play from Jayden Daniels to McLaurin and the duo looked as crisp as ever as the latter hauled it in and executed a perfect toe-tap on the sideline to complete the play:<\/p>\n<p>Jayden Dainels-Terry McLaurin stats from 2024 (regular season only)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Below are the stats that were produced when Daniels targeted McLaurin in 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/sumersports.com\/sumerbrain\/chats\/2967670f-9a47-42cc-8223-3cfad38e0d1e\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">per Sumer Sports<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>Receptions: 70Receiving yards: 944Yards per reception: 13.5Touchdowns: 12Yards per route run: 9.08EPA per dropback: 0.55<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Those numbers are pretty insane, especially the yards per route run and EPA totals. Just to put it in context: Anything over 2.0 yards per route run is considered good for receivers and most quarterbacks average 0.0 to 0.05 EPA per dropback.<br \/>McLaurin\u2019s YPRR is a whopping 454% above average and Jayden Daniels\u2019 EPA per dropback is 1,110% higher than the peak average of 0.05 for QBs.<br \/>Yea. That\u2019s explosiveness and efficiency to a tee. It\u2019s clear this is one of the most effective QB-WR combos in the NFL and it\u2019ll get a chance to get back on track in 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">That\u2019s the positive spin on last year\u2019s drop off, too. It\u2019s not like Daniels and McLaurin couldn\u2019t rekindle the magic. Both guys were hurt pretty much all throughout the season and played a total of three games together.<br \/>They should get right back to tormenting opposing defenses as long as both guys are healthy. It\u2019ll be fun to watch and the Commanders are hoping it can be the spark that gets them back to the postseason.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/nfl\/washington-commanders\/jayden-daniels-peyton-manning-trick-otas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Jayden Daniels Already Borrowing from Peyton Manning<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Speaking on \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/JBUSuHy5b9E?t=691\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">The John Keim Report<\/a>,\u2019 Keim noted how Daniels is already emulating Manning during Commanders OTAs. Keim remembered how his ESPN colleague and <a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/nfl\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">NFL<\/a> Films Senior Producer <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/gregcosell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Greg Cosell<\/a> revealed \u201cManning would talk to him about executing play action from under center, and just how he would fake the handoff by extending his arm fully. Because if you don\u2019t, if you\u2019re just bending it, what does that signal to the defense? That you\u2019re not gonna hand it off, you\u2019ve gotta sell the handoff. And today, I saw Daniels\u2019 arm fully extended on the handoff, selling the fake on the handoff, \u2019cause it starts with that. You\u2019ve got to make it look like a run, and that\u2019s the details of the position.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Manning is a good frame of reference for Daniels to borrow from because the 14-time Pro Bowler and five-time NFL MVP could gash defenses in so many ways, from so many looks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">This is no small change for Daniels, who has spent the majority of his career operating from shotgun and pistol looks, at a remove from the center. The adjustment is expected to be a <a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/nfl\/washington-commanders\/jayden-daniels-david-blough-necessary-change\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">challenging, but necessary process<\/a> for the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/commanderswire.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/nfl\/commanders\/2026\/05\/30\/washington-commanders-jayden-daniels-2026-reminder\/90328898007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Commanders\u2019 Jayden Daniels will \u2018remind everyone\u2019 who he is in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">What some forget about Daniels is that he did more with less. Yes, he had Terry McLaurin in 2024, but the duo played together in only three games last season. And, for as good as the other three quarterbacks were in 2025, Daniels was far better in 2024. Did anyone catch Maye\u2019s performances throughout the playoffs, despite New England\u2019s run to the Super Bowl? Compare that to Daniels in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Speaking of fourth-quarter comebacks, Daniels had five during his rookie season. He set an NFL rookie record with 12 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and overtime. Even more impressive, Daniels was the first rookie quarterback in 74 years to lead back-to-back double-digit comebacks. His Week 16 comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles was one of the best performances across the NFL in 2024. Daniels passed for five touchdowns, including the game-winner to Jamison Crowder with only seconds remaining. Daniels led the Commanders to the comeback win against the NFL\u2019s best defense despite five turnovers from Washington\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/riggosrag.com\/commanders-draft-pick-barely-hanging-on-kain-medrano\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Commanders\u2019 2025 draft pick Kain Medrano is barely hanging on (and no one is paying attention)<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Medrano faces a real fight to stay relevant this summer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">The Commanders <a href=\"https:\/\/riggosrag.com\/chiefs-expert-reveals-what-washington-commanders-really-getting-leo-chenal\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">signed Leo Chenal in free agency<\/a>. They took Ohio State prospect Sonny Styles at <a href=\"https:\/\/riggosrag.com\/adam-peters-confirmed-what-commanders-fans-long-suspected-about-sonny-styles\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">No. 7 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft<\/a>. Frankie Luvu is moving back to his off-ball role, and Washington still has high hopes for Jordan Magee entering a critical Year 3 of his professional career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">These four linebackers are roster locks. Much will depend on how many the Commanders take through, but Medrano has to make huge strides this offseason to justify this place on the squad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Medrano is in danger of following the same path as Dominique Hampton. He was a Day 3 pick who didn\u2019t make an impression in his rookie year. He failed to improve in his second offseason, and a disastrous preseason performance was enough for Peters to <a href=\"https:\/\/riggosrag.com\/commanders-quietly-send-draft-pick-packing-after-preseason-catastrophe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">cut this experiment short<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Medrano has more about him, and his athletic attributes could potentially replace the aging Nick Bellore on special teams. But this is all predicated on the second-year pro developing under the watchful eye of defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/news\/2026-nfl-london-games-tickets-sales-windows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">2026 NFL London Games tickets sales windows<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Your sales windows for the 2026 NFL London Games to be played at Tottenham Hotspur stadium are as follows:<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Amex presale: **From Wednesday 27th May 10am to Tuesday 2nd June 5pm BST. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eticketing.co.uk\/nfl-tottenham\/Events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Please click here to purchase<\/a>.<br \/>Hospitality: From Friday 5th June midday BST<br \/>Tottenham STH: *From Tuesday 23rd June midday BST<br \/>General Admission: From Tuesday 7th July midday BST<br \/>**subject to availability<br \/>*2024 NFL Tottenham Season Ticket Holders will be contacted separately by email regarding a priority purchase window, as per 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Ticket pricing is as follows for the Indianapolis Colts vs Washington Commanders Game to be played on October 4th at 2:30pm BST<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">View the stadium seating map <a href=\"https:\/\/static.www.nfl.com\/image\/upload\/league\/vd0tfu5j0qg68zjazhl0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">here<\/a> for the Colts vs Commanders game<br \/>Category<br \/>2026 *All In Ticket Price<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">1 \u00a3245.65<br \/>2 \u00a3235.65<br \/>3 \u00a3215.65<br \/>4 \u00a3200.65<br \/>5 \u00a3185.65<br \/>6 \u00a3164.15<br \/>7 \u00a3142.35<br \/>8 \u00a3115.10<br \/>9 \u00a379.13<br \/>Category 4 Child<br \/>\u00a3101.48<br \/>Category 9 Child<br \/>\u00a339.89<\/p>\n<p>BACKFIELD BATTLE?: Commanders COMPLEMENTARY Running Back Group On Display at OTAs<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bleedinggreennation.com\/news\/176124\/eagles-deadzone-debate-will-the-team-be-better-off-without-a-j-brown\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Will the Eagles be better off without A.J. Brown?<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Brown is aging. He\u2019ll be entering his age-29 season, and historically, production begins to drop off significantly for receivers approaching 30. It appears we began to see a bit of that a year ago, when Brown put up his lowest yardage total since coming to Philadelphia (1,003 yards in 15 games, 66.9 average per game).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">His yards per target were down (8.3), and his 12.9 yards per reception were a career low, and his 50.4% success rate was also the lowest of his career. Brown supporters would argue much of this can and should be attributed to Kevin Patullo\u2019s putrid playcalling, but to me, Brown appeared a step slower last season and was unable to win the one-on-one battles that have been the hallmark of his Eagles career. It\u2019s fair to wonder if Howie Roseman would be trading Brown before his trade value decreases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">The Eagles have also added a ton of new receivers to the roster through free agency and the draft, acknowledging that, yes, Brown is almost certainly to be moved elsewhere. They drafted Makai Lemon in the first round this year and signed Dontayvion Wicks, Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore and John Metchie III. Not all of those receivers will join DeVonta Smith during the regular season this year, but there are enough viable bodies in the mix to allow the Eagles to begin anew with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Much of Brown\u2019s lack of production can likely also be traced to effort. It seemed clear by the end of the season Brown was simply playing out the string. In terms of the locker room, while Brown is still beloved by his teammates, the constant distraction was just too much drama for them to overcome. Removing him from the equation can help the Eagles re-focus on the true goal of winning a Super Bowl.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">At the end of the day, if the player doesn\u2019t want to be here, he\u2019s not going to be good. And so, in my mind, there\u2019s little choice. The Eagles are more likely to return to Super Bowl contention without A.J. Brown than with him, given his current physical abilities, reluctance to play here, and off-season roster construction.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/news\/texans-qb-c-j-stroud-on-looming-contract-extension-entering-2026-i-think-i-ve-held-my-bargain-up\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Texans QB C.J. Stroud on looming contract extension entering 2026: \u2018I think I\u2019ve held my bargain up\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Stroud isn\u2019t spending much time worrying about his future, though; he knows he can still pilot his ship toward paradise with his performance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">\u201cI let my agent handle that. If it\u2019s time to do it, then it is,\u201d Stroud said Thursday, via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/story\/_\/id\/48902660\/cj-stroud-let-contract-talks-hang-season-prep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">ESPN<\/a>. \u201cMy job is football. That\u2019s what I\u2019m focused on, just getting better. I think I\u2019ve held my bargain up. Whatever happens, happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Despite his confidence, Stroud\u2019s take on keeping up his end of the bargain is arguable. His scintillating rookie season set expectations astronomically high, which also set him up for relative disappointment, especially once the Texans placed him behind an incredibly leaky offensive line in his second season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Year 3 saw an improvement up front, but the consistency and stellar production didn\u2019t follow. Stroud finished 19th in passing yards (3,041), posted a respectable 19-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and ended with a passer rating (92.9), good for 13th in the NFL.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">[C]onsidering how general manager Nick Caserio has constructed an elite defense directed by coach DeMeco Ryans, [t]he Texans know that side of the ball is good enough to win a Super Bowl. They need their offense to do its part in order to achieve such a goal. And that begins with Stroud, whose reputation isn\u2019t exactly sparkling after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/news\/texans-c-j-stroud-grateful-for-the-suffering-playoff-loss\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">seven-turnover nightmare<\/a> in Houston\u2019s Divisional Round loss to the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/deadspin.com\/vikings-need-to-move-on-from-jj-mccarthy-before-it-gets-worse\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Vikings Need to Move On From J.J. McCarthy Before It Gets Worse<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">It\u2019s uncomfortable, especially because the team invested the No. 10 overall pick into McCarthy during the 2024 NFL Draft. But since then, the Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and brought in free agent quarterback Kyler Murray in free agency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">The Vikings are signaling to McCarthy that they\u2019re giving up on him, but now it\u2019s time to formalize that by trading the 23-year-old quarterback.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">McCarthy was asked if there\u2019s any awkwardness with Murray. And he didn\u2019t exactly shut it down.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">\u201cIt\u2019s just like two guys in a classroom, he sits on one side, I sit on the other side, and it\u2019s the coach\u2019s responsibility to teach us and coach us,\u201d McCarthy said. \u201cAwkwardness? You know, it\u2019s just like the same feeling when you\u2019re in high school and there\u2019s another person on the other side of the room, I wouldn\u2019t say there\u2019s any awkwardness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">The Vikings need to nip this in the [bud] now before it becomes a bigger issue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">When was the last time a quarterback competition worked? When Russell Wilson beat out Matt Flynn with the Seattle Seahawks? That was almost two decades ago. Quarterback competitions rarely bear fruit. Instead, they take valuable preseason reps away from the team\u2019s starter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">That\u2019s why the Vikings need to just admit that this experiment with McCarthy is over. It was screwed up from the moment he injured himself, <a href=\"https:\/\/deadspin.com\/why-sam-darnold-is-the-best-story-in-sports-right-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">allowing Darnold to flourish<\/a>. McCarthy wildly underperformed last year, throwing 12 interceptions compared to 11 touchdown passes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">It\u2019s clear the organization is iffy about him. Now, he sounds iffy about the organization.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1upudxki _174s0un1 _174s0un0 _1mt21p01\">Cut bait. Somebody might be willing to give up a Day 2 draft pick to try and save McCarthy\u2019s career. It\u2019s not happening in Minnesota and it\u2019s already time to turn the page.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_19lkh3w1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.hogshaven.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2026\/05\/temp-tweets-jd5-q4-passer-rating.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"339\" data-pswp-width=\"685\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\"><img alt=\"\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_8s7ip80\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1780180873_235_temp-tweets-jd5-q4-passer-rating.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor\u2019s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts &amp; tweets from around the web&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":674481,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[217830,399,398,396,397,45949,99,240747,15981],"class_list":["post-674897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ncaa-football","tag-daily-slop","tag-football","tag-ncaa","tag-ncaa-football","tag-ncaafootball","tag-open-threads","tag-sports","tag-washington-commanders-discussion","tag-washington-commanders-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=674897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/674481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=674897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=674897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=674897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}