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In Minnesota, Kevin O'Connell has made it official — JJ McCarthy is the Vikings' starting quarterback heading into Week one, a significant vote of confidence in the second-year signal-caller as Minnesota opens the two thousand twenty six season against a familiar division rival in Green Bay.
Speaking of that Packers matchup, there's a secondary situation worth watching. Veteran safety Harrison Smith is back in the building after flirting with retirement, and O'Connell confirmed Wednesday that Smith is in strong shape — but whether the fifteen-year pro suits up Sunday remains an open question. His experience alone makes him worth waiting on.
And over in Seattle, the defending Super Bowl champions are walking into this season as underdogs — not just in the NFC, but in their own division. The Seahawks face questions about depth, roster construction, and whether lightning can strike twice. History says repeating is brutally hard, and Vegas agrees. But this is a team that just proved everyone wrong once, so dismissing them entirely would be a mistake.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
