ST.Jalen Hurts Delivers Loud & Clear Message About NFL’s Decision To Pick Bad Bunny For Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show
Jalen Hurts doesn’t understand why people are so upset about Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. The quarterback made it clear he’s frustrated with all the backlash surrounding the Puerto Rican star’s big performance.
During an appearance on the TODAY show, Hurts looked genuinely surprised when host Craig Melvin mentioned the backlash Bad Bunny is receiving.
“Is there controversy? I swear I don’t know,” he said with raised eyebrows. When Melvin explained that many people, including President Donald Trump, weren’t thrilled with the decision, Hurts just couldn’t relate with the situation.
“But why? I don’t understand that. He’s one of the top artists in the world right now, probably the top,” he responded.
Hurts’s reaction summed up what many fans are thinking. To him, Bad Bunny’s music isn’t about politics or division. It’s about energy, passion, and the kind of showmanship that crosses borders. “I’m so excited for him,” he added. “He puts on a great show. He’s an amazing entertainer.”
Trump Slams, Bunny Fires Back
The controversy kicked off after Trump told Newsmax that he found the NFL’s choice “crazy.” He claimed he’d never heard of Bad Bunny and questioned why the league gave him such a massive stage.
“I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they’re doing it,” Trump said, calling the move “absolutely ridiculous.”
His longtime advisor Corey Lewandowski also took a swing, accusing the artist of “hating America.” That didn’t sit well with fans or with Bad Bunny himself.
Hosting Saturday Night Live over the weekend, the 31-year-old also gave a clear message with all the talk going around regarding him.
“You might not know this but I’m doing the Super Bowl halftime show,” he joked. “And I think everyone is happy about it even Fox News.” Then he slipped into Spanish, teasing the audience: “If you didn’t understand what I said… you have four months to learn.”
He used that moment to thank the Latinos and Latinas who “opened doors” before him, calling the performance “a win for all of us.”
While Trump rages and critics rant, Hurts seems ready to grab his popcorn. As he put it, Bad Bunny will “blow everybody’s mind.” And honestly, he might be right.
Vikings Get Huge Update on LB Blake Cashman Ahead of Week 7
Coming out of their bye week, the Minnesota Vikings got some positive news on a key defensive starter. LB Blake Cashman, a former fifth-round pick of the Jets whom the Vikings signed in 2024, has been on Injured Reserve (IR) since Week 1 after sustaining a hamstring injury in the team’s Week 1 game against the Bears.
But in great news for the Vikings, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced during his Monday press conference that the team is opening the 21-day practice window for Cashman. When a player returns from IR, the team can activate a 21-day window during which the player can practice with the team, but does not count against an active roster spot until he’s ready to return to game action. The team can fully activated him at any time in that window, but if they don’t before the 21 days expire, the player reverts to IR and cannot be activated again that season.
“[I’m] also excited to open up Blake Cashman’s [practice] window, we’ll open [it] up today,” O’Connell said. “We’ll go out for some on-field work today to kinda get the week kicked off. …It’ll be great to get Cash back on the practice field, we’re opening that window up, and he’s done a heck of a job getting himself ready to go. And we’ll give him the week of preparation and see where he’s at towards the tail end of the week.”
O’Connell also announced that QB J.J. McCarthy, RT Brian O’Neill, G Donovan Jackson, and C Michael Jurgens all returned to practice on Monday after missing the Vikings‘ Week 5 game against the Browns in London.
LB Blake Cashman is Critical to the Minnesota Vikings Defense
“I think a guy like Blake Cashman coming back is critical as well,” O’Connell said later in his press conference. “Because he assumes that ‘green dot’ position and we have just seen since we got Blake, when he is out there, and we’re playing the kind of defense we’re accustomed to seeing, Blake’s got a lot to do with it. So [we’re] very excited to get him back.”
The “green dot position” refers to a literal green dot sticker that one player on each side of the ball wears on the back of their helmet. Only one player for each team is allowed to wear one on the field on any given play, but the green dot designates which player is allowed to talk to the coaches on the sidelines through the helmet communication systems. On offense, that’s always the quarterback. On defense, it’s typically the middle linebacker, but it can also be a safety or other linebacker position.
For the Vikings defense, that player is Cashman. He’s responsible for getting the defense set, communicating the playcall to the rest of the unit, making sure everyone’s in the right spots, and calling out any audibles or adjustments based on what the offense is doing. More than just what he offers during the play, Minnesota is getting the quarterback of their defense back.
It’s a Good Time for the Minnesota Vikings to Get Healthy
While they aren’t quite dealing with the catastrophic level of injuries teams like the Ravens and 49ers are, the Vikings are maybe in a tier below that alongside the Chargers as teams that have still lost a lot. 10 combined Minnesota starters and the backups that replaced those starters were out or dealing with injuries in Week 5.
But now, the Vikings are getting some of those pieces back at the perfect time. Minnesota plays the Eagles, Chargers, and Lions over the next three weeks, and each team is currently 4-2. It’s a tough stretch, but the Vikings are getting back the manpower to handle it.
