The Vikings head into training camp with no shortage of questions, and the biggest ones all circle back to one thing: whether this roster can turn offseason promise into something that actually holds up in Week 1 against the Packers.
Quarterback is the headline, and right now Kyler Murray has to be viewed as the favorite to open the 2026 NFL season as Minnesota’s starter. His experience and talent make him the cleanest bet, while J.J.
McCarthy still has plenty to prove after an inconsistent 2025. The Vikings have built a strong group of skill players around the position, so there won’t be many excuses if the passing game stalls.
For now, the expectation is that Murray wins the job and gets a chance at a career resurgence in purple and gold.
The pass rush is another major piece of the puzzle, especially after Minnesota moved Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles during the 2026 NFL Draft. That left the Vikings banking on Dallas Turner to take a big step forward after working in a rotational role in 2025.
Turner’s numbers hint at why the team is so interested in that leap: he had eight sacks in 702 defensive snaps last season, compared with Greenard’s three sacks in 559 defensive snaps. Minnesota needs Turner’s production to keep climbing.
The defensive line is almost a full reset. The Vikings moved on from Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, then added rookies Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Those moves helped free up cap room, with over $13.7 million remaining, per Spotrac, but the real test comes on the field. Minnesota has to be better against the run after allowing four yards per rushing attempt in 2025, tied for the sixth-worst mark in the NFL.
The Vikings also gave up a league-high 144 first downs on the ground, which is a number they can’t afford to repeat.
There’s also the Harrison Smith situation. The 37-year-old safety has not made his retirement decision yet, and the Vikings need clarity before the season starts.
Smith was still effective in 2025, posting a 68.9 Pro Football Focus overall grade that was tied for his best in the last four seasons, so this isn’t about a sudden drop-off. It’s about whether he’s coming back at all, and Brian Flores needs to know who will be available.
Then there’s the turnover problem, which was one of Minnesota’s ugliest issues last season. The Vikings finished with a minus-8 turnover differential, fourth-worst in the league, and their 21 interceptions thrown were the most in the NFL.
Kevin O’Connell has plenty to clean up in camp, from protection to decision-making, and the goal has to be simple: reduce the giveaways. Minnesota had 30 total giveaways in 2025, and trimming that number by double digits would go a long way toward stabilizing the season.
In Other News...
Vikings Just Added A Former Pro Bowler Nobody Saw Coming
The Vikings are adding another piece to a linebacker room that already has a real competition brewing, and Jamal Adams gives Brian Flores something a little different to work with. Adams spent last season with the Raiders after earlier stops with the Jets and Seahawks, and his move from safety to linebacker has made him a fit for a defense that values versatility and interchangeable pieces.
For Minnesota, the appeal is less about a fixed role and more about what Adams can do across multiple spots if needed. He enters a mix that includes Eric Wilson, Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr. and rookie Jake Golday, and the question now is how much of Adams value comes from linebacker work, how much from safety, and how much from the nickel packages Flores can build around him. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Camp Opens With A Quarterback Crisis Bigger Than One Position
Training camp opens with the Vikings carrying more than the usual quarterback questions, because the entire offense is tied to whether the passing game can finally settle down. Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson remain the headliners in Kevin O'Connells system, but even proven playmakers can only do so much if the ball is not getting where it needs to go. After the front office shakeup that followed the firing of the previous general manager, the organization has spent the offseason trying to reset the direction of the roster and the offense around it.
The pressure now lands squarely on O'Connell and his staff, with improved quarterback play viewed as the clearest path back to the postseason. If the offense stalls again, the scrutiny will not stop at the position group, because the coaching staff is tied to the results just as tightly as the quarterback room is. There is also the broader question of whether the Vikings are building around their veteran stars or trying to protect themselves from another season in which the passing game never quite matches the talent around it. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Just Made A Defensive Move That Raises Bigger Questions
The Vikings opened training camp with key players on hand and the usual optimism that comes with a fresh start, even after a 9-8 finish left plenty of room for improvement. One of the more interesting additions is Jamal Adams, whose arrival gives Minnesota another experienced defender as the staff continues sorting out how best to use its new pieces.
Adams brings a recent year of full-time linebacker work from his last stop, which adds to the intrigue around how the Vikings plan to deploy him in a room that already has its own health concerns. The bigger issue may be what this move says about the rest of the defense, because Minnesota is still trying to answer questions at safety with Harrison Smith's future unresolved and the other options there still needing to prove they can hold up. [Read more 🡒]