The Minnesota Vikings don’t get to 5-0 by accident, and their Week 6 bye has also shown how much of this start has been built on more than the obvious names. Justin Jefferson doing Justin Jefferson things, Brian Flores dialing up chaos, and Aaron Jones keeping the offense on schedule all fit the script. The real edge has come from a few players who turned their opportunity into something bigger than expected.
Dallas Turner is the clearest example on defense. After Minnesota traded Jonathan Greenard, the 2024 first-round pick inherited far more responsibility, and there was real question about whether he was ready for it.
He’s answered fast. Through five games, Turner has 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, and he’s already logged two-sack outings against Chicago and Miami.
He also piled up seven quarterback hits in the opener against Green Bay, then added four more against the Bears. The exact sack total can move around, but the bigger point is harder to ignore: Turner is consistently affecting protection plans.
That gives Brian Flores more freedom because he doesn’t have to create every bit of pressure with the scheme. Minnesota needed Turner to eventually step into Greenard’s lane.
Nobody could’ve reasonably expected him to be this disruptive by mid-October.
The Vikings also got an early reminder that their backup quarterback situation mattered more than anyone wanted to think about. Kyler Murray’s concussion in Week 1 changed the shape of the opening game after just 11 snaps against Green Bay, and Carson Wentz walked into the moment and delivered.
He finished 12 of 19 for 133 yards and three touchdowns as Minnesota erased an early deficit in a 39-22 win. A week later, he started at Chicago and helped the Vikings grind out a 9-3 victory while Murray was still out.
No one is mistaking that for a throwback to vintage 2017 Wentz, but that’s not really the point. Backup quarterbacks are supposed to keep the week from slipping away, and Wentz did exactly that while Minnesota banked two division wins.
Kevin O’Connell’s choice to make Wentz Murray’s primary backup already looks like one of the most important roster calls the team made.
Then there’s Myles Price, whose rise on special teams has become impossible to miss. An encouraging undrafted rookie season suggested Minnesota had a useful piece there already, but Year 2 has taken it to another level.
Through five games, he’s averaging 29.8 yards on 17 kickoff returns and 21.6 yards on 11 punt returns. His 86-yard punt return touchdown at Tampa Bay snapped Minnesota’s decade-long drought without one, and his 43-yard return against New Orleans helped swing another game on field position.
That production earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September, and it’s given the Vikings a weekly edge in a phase that has become a real asset rather than just a place to avoid mistakes. Price has even chipped in five catches as injuries have reshuffled O’Connell’s receiver group.
For an undrafted player, he’s becoming one of Minnesota’s most valuable game-day weapons.
In Other News...
Vikings Rookies Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Matter
The Vikings 2026 rookie class has spent much of its first month-and-a-half on the margins, with limited production across both sides of the ball. Offensive newcomers Caleb Tiernan, Demond Claiborne and Max Bredeson have been part of the mix, while Caleb Banks, Domonique Orange and Jake Golday have filled out the defense and special teams picture without yet becoming regular difference-makers.
But the next stretch could look different, because the team may have to lean harder on that first-year group coming out of the bye. Injuries and performance concerns have a way of forcing opportunities in Minnesota, and for a rookie class that has been waiting for a real opening, this feels like the point where early roles can start turning into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Face A Trade Deadline Question At The Perfect Time
The Vikings head into the bye week at 5-0, still unbeaten despite a run of injuries that has tested the depth of a roster that has done just about everything asked of it so far. With the season temporarily paused, the timing is right for a bigger-picture look at where Minnesota might still need help and whether the front office wants to be aggressive before the trade deadline.
Safety, running back and pass rush all stand out as spots the Vikings could consider reinforcing, especially if they want to turn a strong start into something more durable down the stretch. The discussion around available upgrades is still speculative, but it reflects the reality of a team that has earned a rare chance to shop from a position of strength while also knowing there are holes that could matter later. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Fast Start Is Already Creating Tough Long Term Priorities
The Vikings fast start has already pushed the conversation beyond the present, even with a bye week approaching and Kyler Murray showing clear improvement in the offense. At 5-0, Minnesota has banked the kind of early cushion that lets the front office start thinking ahead, and general manager Nolan Teasley is already looking toward the 2027 offseason with roster priorities in mind.
Murrays situation is only part of the picture, because several of the teams most productive names are also headed toward potential free agency. Jalen Redmond, Andrew Van Ginkel and Isaiah Rodgers have each put themselves on the radar as players Minnesota may have to work hard to keep, and how the Vikings handle those decisions could shape whether this hot start becomes the foundation for something longer lasting. [Read more 🡒]