Kevin O’Connell didn’t have much to offer when asked if the Vikings might chase a quarterback before Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. ET trade deadline. After Monday night’s 23-6 loss to the Bills, a game in which Carson Wentz went 8 of 25 for 81 yards with two interceptions and an 8.9 passer rating, O’Connell kept the focus on the front office.
“I’ll defer to [G.M.] Nolan [Teasley] on that,” O’Connell said.
“We’ve had dialogue about a lot of different positions. And tight turnaround obviously playing the Monday night game before that, and we’ll get right to work on any potential moves that can be there.
But really just focused on the game tonight, which was not good enough in any way, shape, or form.”
It was a brutal night all around, and O’Connell didn’t try to soften it. When he was asked whether he has ever felt as challenged as he does right now as a play-caller, his answer was simple.
“No,” he said.
The Vikings do have paths they could explore, and the idea of making a move is no longer optional if they want to keep this season from slipping away. It wasn’t long ago - just nine days - that the year looked very promising. That still leaves room for a turnaround, but only if they act.
A return of Kirk Cousins would give the franchise a major boost. Even Daniel Jones would be an upgrade over what the Vikings are dealing with now. If they want to swing bigger, Justin Herbert is the kind of name that would change the conversation entirely.
The bottom line is straightforward: Minnesota needs to do something. If it doesn’t, the issue at quarterback may not be the only change waiting at season’s end.
There could be a coaching change.
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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
The Vikings first six weeks of the season had created the kind of cushion every team wants, but Sundays loss to Buffalo stripped away some of that comfort and put the offense in a much harsher light. Minnesota came in unbeaten, left at 6-2, and spent most of the afternoon looking out of rhythm on that side of the ball, with the passing game especially unable to find any traction against the Bills.
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 May Have Found A Quiet Answer To Their QB Depth Problem
The Vikings quarterback room has become a little too familiar with uncertainty, and the latest injury situation has only made the need for extra insurance more obvious. Carson Wentz is set to start, Max Brosmer is next in line, and Minnesota is keeping an eye on the market for another arm who could help stabilize the position if things get any thinner.
One possibility is emerging from Philadelphia, where the Eagles have had their own uneven season and may be willing to listen on a young quarterback with some game experience. Tanner McKee is in the final year of his rookie deal and has started three games, which gives him a profile the Vikings could view as more than just emergency coverage. For a team trying to protect itself against another setback at the most important spot on the roster, that kind of developmental depth has real appeal. [Read more 🡒]