Vikings Get Unforeseen Contention Buzz
Coming off a disappointing 9-8 season that raised some serious questions about the organization, the expectations are quite low entering 2026. It’s a rarity to see the purple squad in the top 20 when skimming through power rankings and the betting odds aren’t particularly encouraging either.
There’s still reason for optimism. In fact, recent history points to an overachieving franchise in the upcoming season. Outside of the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the Vikings alternate between over- and underachieving every year. If the trend holds, Kevin O’Connell’s fifth season in charge will mimic his first and third, which resulted in an overall regular-season record of 27-7.
Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports identified five sleeper teams that “have thrust themselves into the Super Bowl conversation thanks, in part, to their moves in free agency and the NFL Draft.” The analyst wanted to find this year’s 2025 Patriots and he included Minnesota.
He explained, “The Vikings’ biggest issue in 2025 was under center. Letting Sam Darnold — and even Daniel Jones — walk in favor of 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy proved to be a monumental mistake. In his first season as the full-time starter, McCarthy struggled with durability issues and poor play when he was on the field.”
McCarthy has been available in only ten of the possible 35 career matchups. In those ten games, his performance was way too inconsistent to have faith moving forward. The former tenth overall pick showed massive flaws in his game. Therefore, a solidified passer had to be added this offseason, which is the main reason for Sullivan’s optimism.
“That was enough for Minnesota to fire general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and effectively pull the plug on the McCarthy era by signing Kyler Murray in free agency and re-signing veteran Carson Wentz. While head coach Kevin O’Connell has discussed a competition for the Week 1 job, Murray is clearly positioned as QB1 entering 2026, dramatically raising Minnesota’s ceiling.”
Murray was efficient in the 2024 season, playing in all 17 games and accounting for 26 touchdowns with his arm and legs. Though the Cardinals moved on from their former first overall pick, there’s reason to believe in a career renaissance in the Twin Cities. Veterans have fared well under head coach O’Connell and the weapons and the offensive line, if healthy, can support an explosive offense.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport recently analyzed teams that could return to the playoffs, putting them in either a “pretender” or a “contender” bin. The Vikings were labeled a contender.
He also focused on the quarterback play. After pointing out that last year’s decision to let Sam Darnold walk was a blunder, he wrote, “Kyler Murray hasn’t officially been named Minnesota’s starting quarterback yet, but given how McCarthy has played to date, that announcement is coming. Murray is a two-time Pro Bowler who will have plenty of passing-game weapons, but there’s a reason the team threw in the towel on him.”
McCarthy could still defend his starting job, but it would require significant development this offseason, which would actually be the best possible outcome.
“The Vikings could be the fourth-best team in the NFC North,” Davenport added. But this was a team that was third in the league in total defense last year. If Kevin O’Connell can coach Murray up, Minnesota could do some damage in 2026.”
They might be the fourth-best squad in the North, with a Lions team that has something to prove after a lost season and the Bears and Packers coming off playoff campaigns. However, the Brian Flores defense, paired with an upgraded quarterback room, is enough to give hope ahead of the 2026 season.
Sullivan believes the second-round rookie could quickly establish himself in Flores’ unit:
“Selecting Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks at No. 18 overall was a true roll of the dice. He’s tremendously talented and possesses top-tier upside, but his checkered injury history — including foot surgery after suffering an injury at the NFL Scouting Combine — creates some risk. As for second-round linebacker Jake Golday, he should step in as an immediate Day 1 starter for Brian Flores’ defense.”
Banks comes with god-given talent, but also the risk of a couple of foot injuries. He also needs to work on some technical aspects in his game. Golday’s projections are all over the place. Some view him as a pass-rushing outside linebacker; others think he’s an off-ball middle linebacker. His impact will depend on his role. Only time will tell how Flores wants to use him.
Overall, the team will look different from the way it did a year ago. Improved quarterback play is the easiest way to increase the win total and the Vikings have positioned themselves to achieve that.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.