The Minnesota Vikings are starting to pick up steam as a dark horse Super Bowl pick, and the buzz is coming from far beyond the local market. They may not be the betting favorite the way some teams with more recent playoff success are, but national TV and radio voices keep circling back to them as a team worth watching.
For a while, that outside chatter was doing more for the Vikings’ case than anything else. The season had been hard to get excited about, at least from one fan’s point of view, but that has started to change. Every time a football podcast or NFL studio show comes on, there seems to be someone making the same argument: Minnesota has the profile of a contender.
Talent is the first reason the Vikings are getting this kind of attention. Even after moving on from their general manager, the roster looks loaded.
The offensive line is stout, the wide receiver room is elite, and there are two very capable running backs in the mix. The biggest question is whether Kyler Murray can make the most of all that around him while still threatening defenses with his legs.
Brian Flores’ defense is another big part of the appeal. It has a reputation as one of the league’s most respected units, and Flores has a history of getting the most out of the talent he has.
Minnesota has also done a nice job moving on from aging pieces while continuing to develop younger players. Dallas Turner is already a name being thrown around as a breakout candidate.
The coaching staff adds even more to the case. Kevin O’Connell has built a reputation for developing quarterbacks and winning games even when the QB play isn’t elite.
He’s helped multiple quarterbacks come into the system and find quick success. For Murray, the timing feels right for a career reset, especially with a team that just two seasons ago rode Darnold to 14 wins in his first year in purple.
Murray has always had the talent, and this may be the setting that finally unlocks it.
That’s what makes Minnesota such a clean dark horse pick. The coach is proven with veteran quarterbacks, the roster is deep, and the team isn’t built on one player alone - though Justin Jefferson certainly gives it star power. The Vikings are the kind of team that could be easy to overlook and still end up in the middle of the race when January arrives.
The national conversation may not be the sharpest way to measure every team, but it does reveal where buzz is building. The Vikings may not be ready to be stamped as full Super Bowl contenders just yet, but they look capable of staying in the division race and fighting for a playoff spot late into the season. And once a team gets there, anything can happen.
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Vikings Already Reworking Their Roster As More Moves Loom
The Vikings trimmed down to their initial 53-man roster, then immediately started reshaping it by claiming two offensive linemen off waivers and clearing room with another round of cuts. Quarterback Max Brosmer and wide receiver Dillon Bell were both on the first version of the final roster, only to be waived shortly after as Minnesota continued to adjust the back end of the roster.
Brosmer and Bell could still circle back to the organization if they clear waivers and land on the practice squad, but for now their status reflects just how unsettled things remain in Minnesota. With the opener approaching, the Vikings still appear to have more sorting to do, and this latest shuffle suggests the roster picture may not settle for a while yet. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Practice Squad Is Taking Shape With One Decision Still Looming
The Vikings practice squad is starting to come into focus after the team filled most of the spots with familiar names from training camp. Fifteen players landed on the unit, giving Minnesota a group that already knows the system and has spent much of the summer around the building. Among the players on the list are DaVeawn Armstead, Michael Briscoe and Jack Nelson, along with several others who were part of the teams recent camp work.
One decision still hangs over the group, though, and it could shape the final look of the squad. Minnesota waived quarterback Max Brosmer and wide receiver Dillon Bell to make room for new waiver claims, and both could still circle back as the Vikings sort through the last bit of roster business. For a team that likes continuity on the back end of the roster, the final choice will say plenty about which developmental pieces the Vikings want closest at hand. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Final Cuts Just Changed Everything For These Fringe Survivors
The Vikings first 53-man roster of the 2026 season brought some clarity, and it also gave a handful of fringe players a real foothold as the team moved through cut-down day. Among the names still standing are punter Brett Thorson, halfback Demond Claiborne, offensive lineman Caleb Tiernan and edge rusher Chaz Chambliss, each of whom did enough in the preseason to stay in the conversation as Minnesota sorted out the back end of the roster.
For players in that group, surviving the initial cuts is only part of the battle, because the roster remains fluid before the regular season begins. But the fact that Minnesota kept them around says plenty about how the staff viewed their camp work and how each might fit if the Vikings need depth, special teams help or a surprise contributor once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]