The Minnesota Vikings are heading into 2026 with the kind of setup that usually invites optimism: a strong roster, a proven play caller in Kevin O’Connell, and what should be a better answer at quarterback. But this franchise has lived through enough chaos under center to know better than to assume anything is safe.
That’s the real question hanging over this team. If the quarterback situation holds up, the Vikings look like a playoff club. If it doesn’t, can the rest of the roster carry them anyway?
Minnesota has tried to protect itself. The Vikings signed former No. 1-overall pick Kyler Murray in free agency, brought back veteran Carson Wentz, and kept the ever-polarizing J.J.
McCarthy in the mix. On paper, that gives them options.
In reality, it also means they’re one bad injury stretch or another rough run of play away from the same kind of mess that wrecked their 2025 season.
That isn’t some abstract fear, either. The Vikings were once forced to play four quarterbacks in a season, including Josh Dobbs, who hadn’t even learned the receivers’ names yet by the time he was called into action.
If Minnesota had to relive anything close to that in 2026, it would be a brutal blow. To quote a certain police officer making recent headlines, “I’m a Vikings fan, unfortunately.”
Even so, this roster has enough pieces to make the conversation more interesting than it should be. The defense finished 2025 by allowing just 10 points per game over the final five contests and helped drag the team to a 9-8 record.
Brian Flores is back with more of “his guys” after Minnesota spent its first three draft picks on defensive players. Caleb Banks, Domonique Orange, and Jake Golday could all crack the starting lineup at some point, and fifth-round pick Jakobe Thomas might work his way in eventually, too.
There’s real upside in that group, but rookies are rookies. Growing pains come with the territory.
The defense also benefited from being unusually healthy last season. Both starting cornerbacks played every game, and Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel were the only starters to miss more than one.
That kind of stability doesn’t always repeat. Losing Jonathan Greenard and possibly Harrison Smith would be a hit, but the Vikings did add James Pierre at corner in free agency, and after grading out as the second-best corner in football last year, he’d be more than capable of stepping into a starting role if needed.
The thin spot is edge depth, where the room behind Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner looks pretty bare.
Still, with Flores on the sideline and most of the core intact, there’s reason to think Minnesota’s defense can stay in the same neighborhood in 2026.
The offense should have a better shot at doing its part, too, even if the quarterback play doesn’t fully cooperate. Up front, Will Fries was the only offensive lineman who didn’t miss time in 2025 after returning from a broken leg.
If the injury luck normalizes, the line could end up being one of the team’s strengths. Blake Brandel at center is worth watching, but the other four spots are already filled by players who are good at their peak and above average even when they’re not at it.
At receiver, Minnesota can lean on what might be the best trio in the league. Justin Jefferson still managed a 1,000-yard season despite a year full of hospital balls and overthrows, which says plenty about both his talent and the kind of margin he gives this offense.
Jauan Jennings also brings a major element to the mix as a contested-catch threat, reeling in more than 60% of his chances. That kind of reliability matters a lot if the quarterback play gets shaky again.
The biggest question on offense may be the backfield. Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and rookie Demond Claiborne form a group that still needs to sort itself out. But there’s enough skill there to believe O’Connell can piece together functional production.
So yes, quarterback should be better than it was in 2025. But even if it isn’t, the Vikings may still have enough around that position to stay in the race. Another top-10 defense, a strong supporting cast, and one of the league’s better offensive minds could be enough to push Minnesota into the playoffs as a wild card, even if disaster shows up again behind center.
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