Training camp has turned the Vikings’ quarterback situation into the main show, and that was always going to happen. Every day brings another round of scrutiny on Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, while Kevin O’Connell keeps answering the question the only way a coach can until he finally makes a decision: with a lot of words that say almost nothing.
That backdrop is what made Jon Gruden’s latest take on Minnesota so loud - and so incomplete.
On FS1’s “ Wake Up Barstool,” Gruden was asked about the timing of naming a starter in a quarterback battle. He acknowledged that preseason games do not tell you much because the starters barely play, if they play at all.
Then he took the conversation in a sharper direction, saying, “I gotta think that Kyler Murray is gonna be the guy personally, but I don’t understand what the hell is going on in Minnesota. How you let Sam Darnold walk out of there after the year he had, winning 14 games, and how you let Daniel Jones out of there, I have no idea.
You get what you deserve in this business, but knowing Kevin O’Connell, I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”
The problem with that framing is that it leaves out the part that changes the whole argument.
Darnold did not simply slip away because Minnesota let him go. His final two games in 2024 cost him a lot of money, and even if he had played better, the Vikings were not going to hand him a multi-year deal with McCarthy already standing as the top priority at quarterback. Darnold ended up with the Seattle Seahawks, and now he has a fresh Super Bowl ring.
Jones’ exit followed a different path, but the same basic reality. Minnesota wanted to keep him with McCarthy, but Jones saw a chance to start with the Indianapolis Colts and took it.
That was the same kind of opening that brought Murray to the Vikings this offseason. No one is blaming Jones for chasing that opportunity, and aside from a torn Achilles that ended his 2025 campaign early, things have gone well for him there.
So the idea that Minnesota just “let Sam Darnold walk out of there” or “let Daniel Jones out of there” does not really hold up. Both departures were shaped by circumstances the Vikings could not fully control, and both quarterbacks left because better opportunities were waiting elsewhere.
If there is a real offseason criticism to make, it is that Minnesota leaned too hard into McCarthy. The exits of Darnold and Jones did not force the team to wait until Day 3 of the draft to trade for a more believable No. 2 option. There were veteran backup quarterbacks available in March, and the Vikings mostly passed on them.
Sam Howell did not work out, and that eventually led to Carson Wentz being signed late last preseason.
With a year-plus of hindsight, it is easy to look back and say the Vikings should have handled the quarterback room differently. There is blame to go around for how the situation fell apart last season, even if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been cast as the easiest target.
But Gruden’s version of events goes too far. The Vikings getting what they deserved because Darnold and Jones left is a stretch, and it leaves out the full context behind both moves. That missing detail is the difference between a clean critique and one that misses the real story.
In Other News...
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Tai Felton has been one of the more interesting developments in Vikings camp, and not just because he is still early in his pro career. The third-round pick from 2025 has been flashing in 2026 training camp with the kind of route-running and downfield ability that can start to change how a coaching staff thinks about a receiver room. Kevin OConnell has already pointed to Feltons progress, and Minnesotas passing game is deep enough that any young target who can separate himself deserves attention.
There is also a broader roster conversation building around him, because the Vikings have been looking for ways to make Felton useful beyond the obvious receiver role. OConnell has said he should get chances this season with so many other pass-catchers drawing coverage, and the team has even tried him in the kick return mix as it looks to maximize his value. For a player trying to carve out a role in a crowded offense, that kind of early versatility can be the difference between being just another camp name and becoming part of the weekly plan. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Rookies Are Suddenly Challenging A Defensive Trend
The Vikings latest draft class is making an unusually early push for defensive snaps, and that alone is worth watching in camp. Under interim GM Rob Brzezinski, the rookie group has drawn attention on a side of the ball where Brian Flores has typically been careful about handing out playing time, yet players such as Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange are already getting meaningful looks as Minnesota sorts out its depth and versatility.
Flores is working several newcomers into the mix as the season gets closer, including Jake Golday and Charles Demmings, as the staff tries to see who can handle multiple jobs and fit into different packages. For a coach who usually leans veteran-heavy on defense, the willingness to test these rookies now suggests the Vikings see something real in the group, even if the exact roles are still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Harrison Smiths Vikings Legacy Just Sparked A Debate Fans Will Hate
Harrison Smiths place in Vikings history already feels secure, even before he has officially said whether 2025 will be his final NFL season. The longtime safety has been one of the defining defensive players of his era in Minnesota, piling up six Pro Bowl nods and more than a decade of production that includes sacks, tackles, interceptions and pass breakups across 207 games.
Still, his long-term legacy has sparked a familiar football debate: where he lands in Hall of Fame discussions. ESPNs Bill Barnwell recently projected that Smith is unlikely to make it to Canton, pointing to the thin number of first-team All-Pro honors despite the strong body of work. For Vikings fans, it is the kind of argument that never feels entirely fair when a player has been as consistently important as Smith has been in purple. [Read more 🡒]