The Vikings have opened the season in a way few people saw coming, and that 6-1 start has plenty of fans thinking bigger than just a hot streak. But even with the wins piling up, Minnesota still has a quarterback question hanging over the roster heading into Week 9.
Kyler Murray is set to miss time for the second time this season because of injury, which leaves Carson Wentz back in the starting role for Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills. Behind him, the backup is Max Brosmer. That setup leaves the Vikings thin at the game’s most important position, and it opens the door to a move that could help both now and later.
That’s where the Eagles come in. Philadelphia has stumbled through a rough season and took its seventh loss on Sunday. With the NFL trade deadline arriving Tuesday, the team could be willing to deal Tanner McKee after benching him in Week 9.
McKee wouldn’t come in and overtake Murray or Wentz, but he would give Minnesota more stability in the quarterback room and a developmental arm for head coach Kevin O’Connell to work with. The 6-foot-6, 231-pound passer was a sixth-round pick by the Eagles in 2023, and he’s already had a taste of starting action this season.
In three starts for Philadelphia, the 26-year-old completed 63.2% of his passes and threw two touchdowns against two interceptions. He also averaged 212.7 passing yards per game in those outings, a mark that stands well above Murray’s 170.3 passing yards per game since joining the Vikings.
Philadelphia’s decision to move on from McKee became clearer after the Eagles went 0-3 with him starting. Nick Sirianni then turned to Joe Milton on Sunday against the Giants, and that move also ended in a loss.
From a business standpoint, McKee makes sense as a trade target. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, so the Eagles would rather get something back for him than let him leave for nothing.
This wouldn’t be the splashy deal some Vikings fans are waiting for, but it would still be a meaningful one. It would add depth, give Minnesota a quarterback with some room to grow, and signal that the team is serious about both this season and the future of the position.
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Vikings Face A Brutal QB Reality As Deadline Pressure Builds
Carson Wentz is set to start Monday night against the Bills with Kyler Murray sidelined by a hamstring injury, leaving Minnesota to navigate a prime-time matchup with a thinner quarterback room than it would prefer. With the trade deadline drawing closer, the Vikings have at least kicked around the idea of adding help at the position, a sensible thought for a team trying to steady itself while the season keeps moving.
The problem is that the market has not been friendly. The names that naturally come up in a search for quarterback insurance have not been available, and league chatter suggests Minnesota is not aggressively chasing a deal right now anyway. So for the moment, the Vikings are left to ride with what they have and hope the current setup can hold long enough for the deadline to pass without forcing a bigger decision. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Ugly Loss Just Put The Offense Under A Harsh Spotlight
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For a team that had built its early success on consistency, the concern now is less about one bad day than what it says about the bigger picture. If the offense keeps sputtering, the conversation around the Vikings will quickly shift from a single ugly loss to the larger questions of strategy, adjustment and whether the coaching staff can get this group back on track before the pressure really starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Pressure Is Mounting As OConnell Cant Ignore QB Problem
The Vikings are staring at a quarterback conversation they can no longer sidestep after the loss to Buffalo, and Kevin OConnell made clear afterward that any potential move before the trade deadline would run through general manager Nolan Teasley. OConnell also owned up to the teams poor showing and the strain that comes with trying to steer the offense as both head coach and play-caller, a combination that has only sharpened the scrutiny around a position that has been too inconsistent for comfort.
With the deadline approaching, the pressure is no longer just about one bad afternoon but about whether Minnesota can afford to stand pat if it wants to keep the season from slipping further. The options floating around are still only that, options, but the bigger issue is obvious: the Vikings need a better answer under center, and OConnell is now in the middle of a decision that could shape the rest of the year. [Read more 🡒]