The Minnesota Vikings came into the 2025 season riding high off a 14-3 campaign the year before - a run that saw them rack up the most wins of any non-division winner in NFL history. That’s right: 14 wins, and no NFC North crown to show for it. The division ultimately belonged to the Detroit Lions, who edged out Minnesota with a win in the regular-season finale, a game that turned out to be a pivot point for both franchises.
But what started as a season full of promise came to a screeching halt. The Vikings hit the road for the Wild Card round and ran into a red-hot Los Angeles Rams squad. That playoff loss ended their season, but it also marked the end of an era - one led by quarterback Sam Darnold.
Despite Darnold’s role in engineering that 14-win season, Minnesota let him walk in free agency just weeks later. The thinking inside the building was clear: it was time to hand the keys to J.J.
McCarthy, the young quarterback entering his second year. The organization believed McCarthy had the tools, the poise, and the upside to elevate the offense even further.
But the NFL rarely follows a clean script.
McCarthy’s 2025 campaign was marred by injuries and the kind of inconsistency that often plagues young quarterbacks thrust into the spotlight. The offense never found its rhythm, and the Vikings slid to an 8-9 finish, tying for third in the NFC North. A year after being a legitimate contender, Minnesota was left watching the playoffs from home.
For general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the decision to move on from Darnold is one that still lingers.
“There are nights you wake up and stare at the ceiling and ask yourself,” Adofo-Mensah admitted. “I always go back to the process and what we thought at the time.
#Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on the teams decisions to let Sam Darnold walk:
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) January 29, 2026
“There are nights you wake up and stare at the ceiling and ask yourself… I always go back to the process and what we thought at the time… I still understand why we did what we did. The results maybe… pic.twitter.com/dr6TuPJyl5
I still understand why we did what we did. The results maybe didn’t play out the way we wanted them to, but ultimately, at the end of the day I think we could have executed in certain places.”
It’s a candid reflection from a front office that took a calculated risk - betting on youth, upside, and internal development over veteran stability. Meanwhile, Darnold didn’t just land on his feet. He signed with the Seattle Seahawks and now finds himself preparing to lead them into Super Bowl 60.
That’s the kind of twist that keeps general managers up at night.
Looking ahead, the Vikings are expected to bring in a veteran quarterback this offseason to compete with McCarthy for the starting job. It's a move that signals a course correction - not necessarily a full pivot away from McCarthy, but a recognition that the team needs more stability at the position if it wants to return to contender status.
The Vikings still have a talented roster, and the foundation for success remains. But in a league where quarterback play can make or break a season, Minnesota’s next move under center will be one of the most scrutinized decisions of the offseason.