If the Minnesota Vikings were a college student, they would be in a world of trouble right now. They would be squinting at dozens of beer cans strewn across the floor and a half-empty bottle of Gatorade on the nightstand. Their eyes would be burning from the sun, and their head would start pounding as soon as they tried to get up from the middle of the apartment floor.
To put it mildly, the Vikings have quite the hangover going into 2026, and they must find a way to cure it.
With training camp in the distance, the hangover is still very real. Fans want to know how the Vikings can be closer to the 2024 version of themselves than the 2025 version that started 4-8 before a five-game winning streak against teams ready for Cancun. But the best remedy might be to clarify their differences and eliminate the bloodshot vision that has been clouding their future.
There’s no quick fix for this problem, but the Vikings sure tried to find one. Firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was a seismic move that altered the offseason. However, appointing Rob Brzezinski as interim general manager was the safest move possible this offseason.
Outside of quarterback Kyler Murray, the Vikings made James Pierre their big signing during the initial wave of free agency. After sitting on their compensatory picks until the NFL Draft, the Vikings opted for the future, selecting defensive tackle Caleb Banks despite a glaring foot issue.
The second day of the draft included trading Jonathan Greenard for a pair of third-round picks, and the Vikings emerged from their free-agent slumber a few weeks later by signing Jauan Jennings. Nolan Teasley’s arrival continued the Vikings’ trend of cosplaying the Seattle Seahawks. It also set the stage for a minicamp that took place under a spotlight as bright as the sun.
During minicamp, the Vikings tried to microwave the hype train like leftover pizza left on the kitchen table overnight. Dillon Bell became the secret weapon you’ve never heard of. Demond Claiborne could be “Diet Jahmyr Gibbs.” The offensive line is meaner and more aggressive under the tag team of Keith Carter and Frank Smith. Jennings created headlines by comparing the receiver room to the Golden State Warriors.
All of this paled in comparison to the quarterback competition. J.J. McCarthy landed the first punch by referring to him and Murray as kids on opposite sides of the classroom. Murray retaliated by lamenting the number of practice reps he had. Kevin O’Connell served as the guest referee while revealing that the competition will continue into training camp. All this got us into our current state, refreshing social media feeds begging for something to fill the void.
To some, it’s hype for a rebound season. For a realist, it’s a continuation of the old problems.
It’s hard to tell what Minnesota’s plan is for this season. Banks, Jake Golday, and the rest of the rookie class could alter the trajectory. But it’s also a class that Teasley didn’t draft. Even if O’Connell has a strong voice, Teasley may see things otherwise, giving the Vikings a lame-duck class in a year they had to nail.
Brian Flores’ defense also has some uncertainties. Many of the familiar names, like Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman, and Josh Metellus, remain. If Dallas Turner can respond to Greenard’s departure, it has the makings of a top-10 unit. But the cornerback room is shallow behind Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Pierre. Meanwhile, the safety room appears to be awaiting 37-year-old Harrison Smith to emerge from the Smoky Mountains.
The offense also has upside but some obvious warts. Justin Jefferson is the best receiver in football, but it doesn’t matter if the quarterback can’t get him the ball. Jordan Addison is a ticking time bomb. Jennings feels like a marginal player who has never had a 1,000-yard season and has eclipsed 700 yards once in his five-year career.
A healthy Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill will help, but there are still questions about the interior. And even if Smith and Carter have revamped the running game, it may not matter if O’Connell can’t resist the urge to throw 60-yard passes in short-yardage situations.
Of course, the Vikings will tell you it’s all about the quarterback play. In some ways, that’s true. But it also discounts the fact that the problems extended well beyond the signal-caller last season. Even adding Murray — who the Arizona Cardinals exiled this spring — feels like housing a McGriddle, experiencing 20 minutes of bliss, and suddenly needing to lie down again.
Anonymous reports or slow-motion training-camp videos can’t cure Minnesota’s problems. It’s going to take seeing this team on the field and showing they are closer to the 2024 team than they appear. If they’re right, it could get the Vikings headed back in the right direction after a lost season. If not, they could be in for another fall full of Sundays with their head in the toilet.
