The Minnesota Vikings keep finding themselves in a strange middle lane, and it’s one they almost never fully leave.
They’re not the kind of franchise that spends years buried at the bottom of the standings. They also haven’t been back to the Super Bowl in about 50 years. That in-between existence has created a familiar refrain around the team: never bad enough to land a premium draft pick and a true young franchise quarterback, and never good enough to win it all.
There have been a few moments when the door cracked open. The 1984 season under Les Steckel was the ugly exception, and it was bad enough to send Bud Grant back into retirement the next year.
In 2011, a late-season win over Washington cost the Vikings a shot at Andrew Luck after a 3-13 finish. More recently, the timing looked right when the 2024 draft class was loaded and Minnesota went 7-10 while Kirk Cousins missed the end of the 2023 season with a torn Achilles.
Even then, a four-game losing streak to close that year still didn’t drop them far enough to land Drake Maye or Michael Penix, two quarterbacks they apparently liked.
Last season played out in its own frustrating way. A 4-8 start set up a path to a better draft slot, but the Vikings won five straight games as J.J.
McCarthy found his footing against a stretch of some of the league’s weakest defenses, and the Green Bay Packers didn’t care about Week 18. A last-place schedule this year might have helped too, but Minnesota didn’t even get that benefit after sweeping the Detroit Lions.
That’s the backdrop for a new conversation the Vikings probably want no part of. Writing for Athlon Sports, Andrew Perloff looked ahead to the possibility that the 2026 season could turn into a race to tank for the best possible position in the 2027 draft, which is projected to be loaded with talent.
Perloff placed the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins in his “Surefire Tanks” group. He also put six teams in a “Waiving the White Flag Late” category, and Minnesota was among them.
“The Vikings have way too strong a coaching staff to end up with a top-3 draft pick. But they’re in a strong division and their two QBs, Kyler Murray and J.J.
McCarthy, could go either way this season. If the playoffs appear to be out of reach, Minnesota could shift its focus toward securing a better spot to find their guy in the ’27 draft.”
There’s a version of this where the Vikings finish last in a tough NFC North. There is not, though, a believable version where they intentionally fold.
Kevin O’Connell is entering his fifth season, and the pressure is real. If Murray and McCarthy both stumble, Carson Wentz is still there after helping keep things steady last season. But O’Connell is not going to lean into losing, especially if every defeat makes his own position more fragile.
So while a bottom-out season might look useful on paper, the Vikings’ history and their current setup point in the same direction: that’s not who they are, and it’s not how this season is going to be played.
In Other News...
Vikings May Already Be Eyeing Their Next Answer At Quarterback
The Vikings are already being linked to their next potential quarterback solution, with ESPNs Jordan Reid reporting that the team could be in the market to address the position in the 2027 NFL Draft. Under new general manager Nolan Teasley, Minnesota has extra draft capital from a previous trade, giving the front office more flexibility as it tries to build a roster that can support whatever comes next under center.
For a team still sorting through its long-term quarterback direction, that kind of draft positioning matters. Minnesota may not be ready to make a final call yet, but the fact that it is being mentioned as a club to watch in 2027 says plenty about how seriously the organization is weighing its future at the most important spot on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Everson Griffen Just Reentered The Vikings Conversation
Everson Griffen is back in the conversation around the Vikings, and this time it is because the former Minnesota defensive end says he wants another shot in the NFL. In a recent interview, Griffen opened up about reaching one year of sobriety and about living with bipolar disorder, adding a personal layer to a comeback bid that would have seemed far-fetched not long ago.
Griffen has not appeared in an NFL game since 2021, but he said he could be ready to return in about three months, which at least puts a possible ramp-up on the radar. For Minnesota, it is a reminder of how much Griffen still means to the franchise and how much his story has been shaped by football, health, and the long road between the two. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Camp Opens With One Massive Question Still Hanging
Training camp is finally here in Minnesota, and the quarterback room is already the center of attention. Veterans report Tuesday, practice begins Wednesday, and the Vikings are set to open camp with four passers on the roster, a group that includes Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy as the team starts sorting out its most important job.
The rest of the calendar is moving quickly, too, with preseason action arriving in 20 days and matchups lined up against the Giants, Ravens and Broncos. Before any of that unfolds, the Vikings have to answer the question hanging over camp, and the presence of Murray, McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer only makes the first few days more watchable. [Read more 🡒]