The Vikings are not standing still as the trade deadline nears.
According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, Minnesota general manager Nolan Teasley “is open to pursuing a bevy of ideas at the trade deadline.”
That leaves plenty on the table, and Lewis pointed to a handful of spots that could make sense depending on price and cap considerations. Tight end is one of them after the Vikings lost run-blocking specialist Josh Oliver to a torn biceps. Running back is another, even with Jordan Mason expected back soon, because the depth behind Mason and Aaron Jones is thin.
The interior offensive line also belongs on the list. Left guard Donovan Jackson suffered a torn meniscus, and Lewis said the Vikings have made strides in that group from 2025, but a move could help keep that progress intact while Jackson is out. He mentioned players such as Quenton Nelson or Tyler Steen as fits that could bolster the position.
Lewis also looked at the defensive side, where defensive line and safety stood out as possible areas to address. Up front, he likes the depth the Vikings already have, but adding a run stopper would keep the team from having to lean on rookies Caleb Banks or Domonique Orange in a full-time role if injuries hit.
Safety, though, may be the longest shot. Lewis said it could be the most far-fetched option because of how complex the spot is in DC Brian Flores’ scheme. Even so, he suggested that taking a swing at a veteran like Cardinals safety Budda Baker or Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. would make sense as a contingency behind Harrison Smith, given their pre-snap reads and blitzing ability.
Baker is already among the players listed in the Updated 2026 Midseason Trade Block.
Nelson, 30, was a first-round pick by the Colts out of Notre Dame in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was in the fourth year of his four-year, $23.888 million rookie deal, which included a $15.543 million signing bonus, when Indianapolis picked up his fifth-year option, worth $13.8 million in 2022.
He was set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023 before signing a four-year, $80 million extension, which was then the highest-paid contract ever for a guard.
In 2026, Nelson has started six games for the Colts at left guard.
In Other News...
J.J. McCarthy Just Reopened A Vikings Debate Fans Dread
A late change at quarterback turned into another reminder that J.J. McCarthy still has a way of forcing Minnesota to look back at one of its most uncomfortable recent decisions. After taking over for the Giants in the fourth quarter against the Saints, he helped fuel a rally that had the game flirting with a comeback before New York finally ran out of time. For Vikings fans, it was the kind of performance that lands with extra weight because it keeps the old trade debate alive in a way they probably hoped would fade.
McCarthys line was uneven, but the bigger issue for Minnesota is how a brief burst of competence can reopen questions about what he might have become in purple. The Giants did not finish the job, and his last throw on fourth-and-1 fell incomplete, but the fact that he could step in and make the game interesting again is enough to give that familiar conversation fresh oxygen. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Look Fully Vindicated For Passing On Jim Harbaugh
When Minnesota interviewed Jim Harbaugh in January 2022, the franchise was weighing a coaching decision that would shape the next several seasons. The Vikings ultimately chose Kevin O'Connell, and at the time it was fair to wonder whether they had passed on a proven sideline presence for a different kind of voice.
Three years later, the early returns make that call look increasingly sound from Minnesotas perspective. Harbaugh landed with the Chargers in 2024, but Los Angeles has been stuck below .500 over that stretch, while O'Connell has kept the Vikings winning at a much steadier clip and firmly in the conversation as one of the league's more stable teams. [Read more 🡒]
Kyler Murrays Early Concussion Puts One Vikings Habit Under Fire
Kyler Murrays early concussion is already a talking point around Minnesota, not just because it briefly knocked the Vikings starting quarterback out of action, but because of how it happened. Murray has since returned to practice and gotten back on the field after clearing protocol, but the hit has sharpened attention on a habit quarterbacks have long treated as routine protection.
That discussion picked up on ESPNs Sunday NFL Countdown, where Alex Smith made the case that quarterbacks should stop sliding feet-first and instead get down by falling forward to lessen the risk of injury. Tedy Bruschi backed up the broader idea by explaining how defenders react differently when a quarterback is in a slide, a reminder that one split-second choice can change how exposed a passer is when the pocket breaks down. [Read more 🡒]