KANSAS CITY, MO – March 22, 2025
In a shocking and unprecedented move, Kansas City Chiefs owner Douglas Vexler has officially announced his departure from the National Football League, just months after purchasing the reigning Super Bowl champions. The reason? A scheduling conflict — and an alleged shouting match with longtime Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Vexler, a flamboyant tech billionaire turned sports magnate, took over the Chiefs this offseason amid sky-high expectations. Kansas City, after all, has captured the last three consecutive Super Bowl titles, cementing their dynasty under head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. But Vexler’s short tenure has been anything but smooth.
Sources inside the league say tensions between Vexler and Jones reached a boiling point during recent NFL owners’ meetings in Arizona. The dispute? A prime-time Week 11 showdown between the Cowboys and Chiefs that Vexler reportedly demanded be played at Arrowhead. When the league awarded the slot to AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Vexler exploded.
“He slammed his tablet on the table,” one anonymous GM reported. “He kept yelling, ‘I built this dynasty! I’m not playing second fiddle to a guy with a giant jumbotron and a nostalgia complex!’”
League officials attempted to mediate, but Vexler allegedly stormed out mid-session and later released a dramatic statement:
“The NFL is a rigged, outdated institution run by egos who care more about tradition than greatness. I didn’t buy the best team in football to be bossed around by Jerry Jones. I’m out.”
The abrupt exit has sent shockwaves across the league. The NFL has yet to release an official comment, though insiders say emergency meetings are underway to determine ownership succession in Kansas City.
Fans Divided
While some diehard Chiefs fans are relieved, many feared this was coming. Since assuming ownership, Vexler had already raised eyebrows by teasing a rebrand to the “KC Dynamos,” installing AI-powered “Vex Cams” in the locker room, and publicly questioning Coach Reid’s “commitment to analytics.”
“I don’t care how rich he is — the man put QR codes on the helmets,” one fan wrote on X. “Good riddance.”
But others are concerned about the stability of the franchise. With Mahomes in his prime and Kansas City poised for a historic fourth straight Super Bowl, a front-office shakeup this late in the offseason could spell disaster.
What’s Next for the Chiefs?
League bylaws require an interim ownership group to be formed until a new buyer is approved. Several names have already surfaced, including former Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez and even Taylor Swift, whose recent appearances at Arrowhead have sparked rumors of interest in ownership.
As for Douglas Vexler, his exit tweet simply read:
“alright im done”
Whether that’s a threat, a promise, or just more billionaire theatrics remains to be seen.
CHICAGO — The Minnesota Vikings came out firing in their season opener at Soldier Field, but a dominant second half from the Chicago Bears turned an early Vikings lead into a 34-26 loss.
Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, making his much-anticipated NFL debut, showed flashes of brilliance but struggled with consistency as the game wore on. The young signal-caller finished 14-of-30 for 385 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, with his final pick sealing the Bears’ victory in the closing minutes.
The game couldn’t have started any better for Minnesota. On the very first play from scrimmage, McCarthy connected with Justin Jefferson on a perfectly placed deep ball, a 75-yard touchdown that electrified the Vikings’ sideline and silenced the Chicago crowd. The momentum carried through the first half as McCarthy added two more touchdown passes, and the Vikings defense picked off Caleb Williams in the second quarter to set up their 3rd TD, helping Minnesota build a solid lead heading into halftime.
But everything changed after the break. The Bears defense clamped down on the Vikings’ run game, holding Aaron Jones to just 23 rushing yards on 10 carries. With Minnesota’s ground attack neutralized, McCarthy was forced to shoulder the offense, and while he made some spectacular throws, he also faced relentless pressure that led to mistakes.
On the other side, Caleb Williams settled in after a rocky start. The rookie quarterback picked apart the Vikings' secondary, finishing 26-of-36 for 349 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. His connection with tight end Cole Kmet was unstoppable, as Kmet hauled in nine receptions for 152 yards. The Bears’ rushing attack also took control in the second half, with D’Andre Swift pounding his way to 91 yards and two touchdowns, including a critical fourth-quarter score that gave Chicago its first lead of the game.
Trailing 34-26 with under two minutes to play, McCarthy had a chance to lead a heroic final drive. He moved the Vikings across midfield with a pair of deep completions, but on a second-and-long, he attempted to force a pass to TJ Hockenson in double coverage that was picked off by the Bears defense, sealing the game.
Despite the loss, McCarthy’s debut showed promise, and Jefferson proved once again why he’s one of the league’s best receivers with 145 yards and a touchdown on just four catches. But the Vikings will need to find balance on offense and shore up their defensive lapses if they want to avoid falling into an early-season hole.
Minnesota will look to bounce back next week as they play the Browns in their home opener, while Chicago celebrates a hard-fought win that could set the tone for their season.
The Minnesota Vikings are just two games into the preseason, but tensions are already brewing in the locker room. Some offensive players have expressed frustration with what they see as a lack of meaningful offseason improvements, believing the front office didn’t do enough to keep up in what is shaping up to be one of the toughest divisions in the league. While the team retained some key pieces, there’s a sense that the roster didn’t get the boost it needed to compete at the highest level. With expectations mounting, that frustration is starting to boil over.
Adding to the unease is the decision not to re-sign Sam Darnold, a move that left some players disappointed. There was belief among certain veterans that an open quarterback competition could have pushed the offense in a better direction, but O’Connell and the coaching staff never entertained that possibility. That decision, coupled with two straight preseason losses, has morale at an all-time low. Some in the locker room are wondering if the team’s direction is truly setting them up for success, especially as division rivals like Detroit and Chicago continue to make aggressive moves.
The losses themselves aren’t the biggest concern—it’s how the team has looked in those games. The offense has struggled to find rhythm, the defense has lacked urgency, and the energy on the sidelines hasn’t been what you’d expect from a team looking to establish its identity. While preseason records don’t count in the standings, they can set the tone for what’s to come, and right now, that tone is anything but positive. With the NFC North looking as competitive as ever, Minnesota can’t afford to carry this sluggish start into the regular season.
Now, the Vikings head into their preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins, and while the game won’t determine their season, another loss could deepen the cracks already forming within the team. Momentum matters, and right now, Minnesota doesn’t have it. If O’Connell can’t rally his group and turn things around quickly, the doubts inside the locker room may only grow louder.
Vikings fans were very excited when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah used one of his 4 2023 draft picks on Georgia QB Stetson Bennett. In their post-draft press conference both Kwesi and Head Coach Kevin O'Connell downplayed the signficance of the pick.
"We thought it was tremendous value at that position of the draft, we had a 2nd round grade on Stetson, and he when he was still there at our 3rd round pick, we jumped on it. Going into the draft Kirk was the only QB on our roster, so it was one of those perfect times where best player available also filled a position of need," said Adofo-Mensah
Most Vikings fans will remember the buzz and excitement around a similar mid-round QB pick by the former GM, but Kellen Mond turned out to not be the answer at even backup QB for the Vikings, and was one of the final straws in the firing of Rick Spielman. So it goes to reason that the fans would have tempered expectations, especially after the success of Kirk Cousins last season. Most Vikings fans had accepted that the only QB controversy would be between Mitch Trubisky (who the Vikings signed in Free Agency) and Stetson Bennett for the the backup QB spot, but then last night's preseason game against the Jets happened and ladies and gentleman, WE HAVE A QB CONTROVERSY!
"Kirk tweaked his ankle in practice and we didn't want to risk injury, so Stetson got the nod tonight," Kevin O'Connell told the media in his post-game press conference "We planned on splitting snaps between Stetson and Mitch, but Stetson just kept having success, so we left him out there and he was able to have a huge fourth quarter and lead the team to the win."
Completing 23 of 33 attempts for 362 yards and throwing for 4 touchdowns to just 1 interception in his first NFL action, Stetson Bennett looked like the real deal. He made quite a few NFL QB level throws throughout the game, but there's one that has Vikings fans buzzing. In his one and only drive with the starters to start the game he marched the offense down the field and capped it off with a beautiful 33 yard touchdown to Justin Jefferson. It was Jefferson's only catch on his only offensive series of the night, and it showed Vikings faithful that there may be the beginning stages of some Bennett and Jefferson chemistry and possibly many more TDs in the future.
The Vikings offseason has officially begun, and after a exceeding expectations in their first year Head Coach Kevin O'Connell and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have some very difficult decisions to make. The list of Vikings free agents is staggering, and with only ~14 million in salary cap space, it's going to be impossible to re-sign them all. In this article we will take a look at the top Vikings free agents and discuss whether we here at the Skol Sports think they should be back again next year.
1. Alexander Mattison (HB)
The young 25 year old Star performed well as Dalvin Cook's backup during his tenure with the Vikings, but he's at the point in his career where he's going to be looking for a real contract. He deserves a shot a starting for a team in the league and with Dalvin Cook putting in another solid year, we just can't see the Vikings Front Office resigning Mattison
Verdict: Free Agency
2. Patrick Peterson (CB)
The future Hall-of-Famer is having a career renaissance in Minnesota after having one of the best years of his career last season posting 5 interceptions and 15 pass deflections, making him one of the top 5 corners in the league. Peterson has been very vocal about his love for Minnesota's front office and the teams fans, and with all of the young DB depth behind him, resigning Peterson for another 1-2 years is a no brainer
Verdict: Resign
3. Zadarius Smith (OLB/DE)
On paper resigning Smith doesn't seem like a hard decision, after signing a one-year contract in the offseason, Smith had a great year with the Vikings, and paired with Danielle Hunter, made the Vikings pass rush one of the most difficult to deal with in the entire league. Given his performance on the field last year, and his veteran leadership in the locker room, any defensive coordinator would love to have him back, but it seems like this decision is going to be out of the Vikings hands and completely up to Smith on whether he wants to play in Minnesota. Given the coaching and scheme change after last year's disaster of a defensive season, Smith has been very non-commital on whether he wants to stay.
Verdict: ?
4. Irv Smith Jr. (TE)
After an early injury to Smith Jr. the Vikings managed to pull off one of the most surprising trades of the last five years with the Lions for TJ Hockenson, putting Smith Jr. in another similar situation to Mattison. He's a promising young star stuck behind a superstar. It's more likely that the Vikings resign Smith than Mattison, and while 2 TE sets are not something Kevin O'Connell historically has run, he did dabble with them when Smith came back from injury near the end of the season. Given the cap issues, and also Smith Jr's injury history, I think it's unlikely the Vikings resign him, but I don't think it's guaranteed that they don't.
Verdict: Free Agency
5. Dalvin Tomlinson (DT)
The solid anchor of the Viking D-line, Dalvin Tomlinson has been locked in at #1 on the depth chart since replacing Linval Joseph 2 seasons ago. With the Vikings scheme change back to 3-4 and their lack of depth at DT, it's a given that Tomlinson resigns. Expect to see an announcement of his new contract soon, our sources say this contract is basically finalized.
Verdict: Resign
Honorable Mention. Andrew Depaola (TE)
Fan favorite 36-year old Long Snapper Andre DePaola is up for contract renewal this year coming off his first Pro Bowl seeason. The first long snapper in Minnesota Vikings history to be named to the Pro Bowl, DePaola is considering retirement according to our sources. Will DePaola retire at the top of his game and ride off into the sunset, or will he strap on the the cleats for one more season with the Vikings? I think I speak for most fans when I say I hope he returns for one more year!
Verdict: Resign
These are the top 5 most crucial free agent decisions that the Vikings are going to need to make this offseason, but the storylines don't stop there. Chandon Sullivan, Greg Joseph, Oli Udoh, Duke Shelley and Kris Boyd are all names that Vikings fans will recognize as starters or players that made major contributions to Minnesota's NFC North Championship season. Stay tuned to Skol Sports as we continue to track the Vikings offseason, and bring coverage of the 2023 NFL Draft!!