The Minnesota Vikings didn’t expect to be here-not after a 14-3 campaign just a year ago that had them knocking on the door of the NFC’s top seed. Fast forward to Week 14 of the 2025 season, and they’re sitting at 4-8, buried at the bottom of the NFC North with more questions than answers. It’s been a season defined by missed opportunities, miscalculations, and a quarterback carousel that’s left the offense in disarray.
Let’s start with what might be the most symbolic moment of the Vikings’ unraveling: Adam Thielen, the hometown hero and veteran wideout, requesting his release just one day after a 26-0 shutout loss to the Seahawks. Thielen was brought back to be a steadying presence for rookie quarterback J.J.
McCarthy-a safety valve, a leader in the locker room. Instead, he played just 29% of the offensive snaps, caught eight passes for 69 yards, and dropped three balls.
His second stint in Minnesota ends quietly after 12 games, a far cry from the impact many expected. The August trade to bring him back now looks like another misstep in a season full of them.
But Thielen’s underwhelming return is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. To understand how the Vikings got here, you have to look at three critical decisions that have come back to haunt them.
1. Letting Sam Darnold Walk
This one stings. After years of being labeled a bust, Sam Darnold found new life in Kevin O’Connell’s offense last season.
He led Minnesota to 14 wins, set career highs across the board, and looked every bit like a franchise quarterback throwing to Justin Jefferson. But when free agency rolled around, Darnold signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks.
Minnesota reportedly made a comparable offer, but they were only willing to commit for one year. The reason?
Their belief in McCarthy.
Darnold hasn’t just been good in Seattle-he’s been better. In 12 games, he’s thrown for nearly 3,000 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. He’s leading the league in yards per attempt (9.0) and has dramatically improved his sack rate, a stat that’s plagued him throughout his career.
The Vikings got a front-row seat to Darnold’s resurgence last Sunday, even if he wasn’t lights out. He threw for a modest 128 yards on 14-of-26 passing, but he managed the game, moved the chains, and helped Seattle notch its ninth win.
Meanwhile, Minnesota was forced to start undrafted rookie Max Brosmer, who threw four interceptions in a historically bad debut. It was a brutal reminder of what they had-and what they let go.
2. The J.J. McCarthy Rollercoaster
There’s no sugarcoating it: McCarthy’s rookie season has been a mess. Through six starts, he owns the fifth-worst passer rating (57.9) and the highest interception rate (6.3%) of any NFL quarterback through their first six starts since 2000. The Vikings are 2-4 in those games, but even the wins came in spite of McCarthy, not because of him.
Injuries haven’t helped. He missed all of 2024 after undergoing two knee surgeries and has already been sidelined six times this season with an ankle injury and a concussion. He’s had no rhythm, no consistency, and-so far-no signs that he’s ready to lead an NFL offense.
Minnesota had other options. They tried to re-sign Darnold.
They reportedly made a push to keep Daniel Jones, who joined the team after being cut by the Giants. They even kicked the tires on Aaron Rodgers, though that never gained traction.
Sam Howell was around in training camp but struggled so much they shipped him to Philadelphia for next to nothing. Eventually, they signed Carson Wentz off the street.
Wentz wasn’t great, but he did manage to get Jefferson involved and win two games before a season-ending injury. That left Brosmer as the next man up, and his debut couldn’t have gone worse. Four picks, zero points, and the team’s first shutout loss since 2007.
It’s worth noting that O’Connell has gotten production out of quarterbacks like Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens in the past. So McCarthy’s struggles aren’t necessarily a reflection of the system.
But they are a reflection of a team that bet big on a rookie quarterback without a reliable fallback plan. And that’s a tough pill to swallow when you’ve got weapons like Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J.
Hockenson, and Christian Darrisaw on the field.
3. Depth-and Draft Decisions-Haven’t Held Up
The Vikings are still loaded with top-tier talent. But when injuries hit-and they’ve hit hard in 2025-the lack of depth has been glaring. The 2025 draft class, outside of one bright spot, hasn’t offered much help.
Offensive lineman Jackson has been solid. In nine games, he’s allowed two sacks and ranks in the middle of the pack among qualified guards.
He’s no Darrisaw, but he’s been a step up from last year’s group. Beyond that, though, it’s slim pickings.
Third-round pick Felton has made more of an impact on special teams than as a receiver. Ingram-Dawkins is barely seeing the field, King has played just three snaps, and Bartholomew is still on the PUP list.
Zooming out, the recent draft classes under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah haven’t delivered the kind of foundational depth you need to survive a long NFL season. McCarthy may still develop into a capable starter, but right now, he’s not there.
Dallas Turner, the other first-rounder from 2024, hasn’t met expectations in Brian Flores’s defense. Outside of Addison-who’s been a hit-only one player from the 2023 draft class remains on the roster.
The Bottom Line
J.J. McCarthy is at the center of the Vikings’ struggles, but he’s far from the only issue. This is a team that’s been hit by a series of miscalculations-from letting Darnold walk, to failing to build adequate depth, to relying too heavily on an unproven rookie quarterback without a solid Plan B.
The talent is still there. But in a league where quarterback play and roster depth can make or break a season, the Vikings have come up short on both fronts. And unless something changes fast, this once-promising team will be spending another offseason asking how it all went wrong.