Joe Burrow Trade to Minnesota? Don’t Count on It, But the Vikings Should Still Be Making That Call
Ever since the curtain closed on the 2025 regular season, Vikings fans have been letting themselves dream a little. And who can blame them?
The idea of Joe Burrow-yes, that Joe Burrow-wearing purple and gold next season has been floating around fan circles like the scent of hope in the Minnesota winter air. But if we're being real, that dream just got a whole lot frostier.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport poured some cold water on those hopes this week, saying while he fully expects teams to call the Bengals about Burrow, he doesn’t expect Cincinnati to actually pick up the phone and say yes. Translation: teams will inquire, but Burrow’s not going anywhere.
That’s not exactly shocking. Burrow isn’t just a good quarterback-he’s a franchise cornerstone.
He’s the kind of player you build around, not one you ship out unless you’re starting over from scratch. And the Bengals, even after a rocky 2025, aren’t signaling any kind of rebuild.
They’ve got their guy, and unless something seismic shifts, they’re not moving off him.
Still, that doesn’t mean Minnesota shouldn’t be dialing Cincinnati’s number. Even if the odds are slim, you make the call.
You have to make the call. Because when a quarterback of Burrow’s caliber is even rumored to be available, you check in.
That's just how this league works.
But let’s zoom out and look at the bigger picture. The Vikings’ quarterback situation heading into 2026 is layered.
J.J. McCarthy is in the building, and the team clearly sees potential there.
But potential doesn’t win games in November. Minnesota needs a veteran presence-someone who can push McCarthy, mentor him, and step in if the moment calls for it.
That’s likely where the real focus will be this offseason.
And here's the reality: Minnesota isn’t exactly working with a treasure chest of cap space. Pulling off a blockbuster for Burrow wouldn’t just require a king’s ransom in draft picks-it would also mean navigating a massive contract and sacrificing flexibility elsewhere on the roster. That’s a tall order for a team that has more than just one hole to patch.
So no, the Burrow-to-Minnesota dream probably isn’t happening. But that doesn’t mean the Vikings won’t be aggressive.
Expect them to explore every avenue for a veteran QB, someone who can help bridge the gap while McCarthy continues to develop. It might not be the headline-grabbing move fans are hoping for, but it could be the smarter one in the long run.
Still, if you’re Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell? You make the call.
You always make the call. Because in this league, you never know when a no might turn into a maybe.