MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 4: Harrison Smith #22 of the Minnesota Vikings lines up for a play against the Green Bay Packers in the second half of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NFL Combine 2026: Schedule, TV channel, and how to watch workouts in Indianapolis
Workout schedule
Thursday, February 26 (3 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET): Defensive linemen, linebackers, kickers
Friday, February 27 (3 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET): Defensive backs, tight ends
Saturday, February 28 (1 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET): Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs
Sunday, March 1 (1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET): Offensive linemen
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
Minnesota Vikings are linked with explosive quarterback whom Kevin O’Connell has long admired
What better way to foster competition than to actually have one? The Indianapolis Colts have given quarterback Anthony Richardson permission to seek a trade. It’s not a surprise when you consider Daniel Jones beat him for the starting quarterback job last August in training camp.
Vikings Issue Blunt Response on JJ McCarthy’s Future, QB Plans
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski offered a nine-word answer on McCarthy’s future and the team’s plans to add quarterback talent and depth to the position group this offseason.
“We’re exploring every option that can be out there,” Brzezinski said, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
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Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell also spoke about McCarthy during the team’s media session Tuesday.
“It’s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was,” O’Connell said, referencing the summer of 2024 before McCarthy’s initial knee injury and a couple months after the team drafted him with the No. 10 pick.
“And I have a responsibility — we have a responsibility collectively as we put together this team — to make sure that we use the data that we have at this time and the experiences we have,” O’Connell continued with regards to Minnesota making the best decision at QB.
NFL Combine Buzz Suggests J.J. McCarthy May Already Be Out as Vikings’ 2026 Starter
“The idea of ‘competitive room’ means starting quarterback for 2026 is not on the team at the moment,” Coller told Goessling on the Purple Insider podcast. “The money quote was when he said the timeline has changed. I thought, for a lot of people, not just KOC, people in the front office, and that guy who wears No. 18, it’s a very pivotal year for him. Feels to me like someone else is the starting quarterback Week 1 other than J.J. McCarthy.”
For context, O’Connell’s “money quote” came when he was asked if he thinks McCarthy is still the franchise quarterback he thought he was a year ago at this time: “A lot of those feelings are still the same,” O’Connell said. “It’s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was at that point (in 2024).”
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Goessling thinks McCarthy has to make huge strides to convince the Vikings that he deserves QB1.
“If it is J.J. McCarthy, he will have to have looked so drastically different that they will have changed their impressions of him. He does not have the benefit of the doubt anymore,” Goessling told Coller.
“I think if he gets that job back, it’s because he comes back and says, ‘All of your concerns, all of your questions about me, I have answered. Decision-making is good. I have shown I’m a little bigger, I’m a little more durable. I’m more accurate. My mechanics are better.’ All of those things that they were trying to get him to fix last year, that they eventually said, ‘Let’s just wait for this happen in the offseason,’ he has to have that all fixed in a way that he can get the benefit of the doubt back on his side,” Goessling continued.
Sam Darnold understood Vikings’ financial reality behind choosing J.J. McCarthy
Discussing how it felt to be allowed to leave in free agency on The Herd, Sam Darnold told Colin Cowherd that he understood the financial aspect of the decision, even if it didn’t feel great at the time.
“I understand how difficult it can be, and you have a lot of decisions that you have to make as a GM, as a head coach, and so for me personally, obviously I believe in myself, and I understand in my abilities, but at the same time I understand their thought process of going with the younger kid and especially JJ. I think JJ’s very talented. He’s super smart, and there’s a lot of potential there. And I think JJ’s going to be a really, really good player in this league,” Darnold said.
“And that allowed them to kind of not sign me to maybe a bigger deal and bring some veteran guys in. I think when I sat back and really digested, I guess, the information, that they didn’t want me back, that was a little little bit of a tough pill to swallow, but when I really stood back and looked at it from afar, I really understood the decision and I really did, and I’m thankful that I landed in Seattle.”
Vikings rumors: Javon Hargrave has been discussed in trade talks
The Viking have had trade talks with teams regarding two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Hargrave played in 16 games last season and logged 52 total tackles, three-and-a-half sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He provided stability along Minnesota’s defensive line alongside veterans Jonathan Allen and Jalen Redmond.
Saints Should Be All Over Available Vikings Pro Bowler
The New Orleans Saints have two big-time pass rushers under contract for the 2026 season in Chase Young and Carl Granderson.
As of writing, Demario Davis and Cameron Jordan are both still up in the air for the 2026 season with the franchise because of the fact that they are both pending free agents. It’s unclear if either will be back, which is why the Saints should give the Minnesota Vikings a call about two-time Pro Bowler Javon Hargrave. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Tuesday that the Vikings have had trade talks with teams about him.
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“Sources: The Vikings have had trade talks with teams regarding 2x Pro Bowl DT Javon Hargrave,” Schultz wrote. “Hargrave started 15 games last year and had 3.5 sacks in his first season with Minnesota.”
Vikings discussing Javon Hargrave trade, and the Bengals should be interested
Hargrave is exactly the kind of player the Bengals could use as they attempt to rebuild their defense this offseason. So far, draft picks Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson haven’t exactly worked out, leaving B.J. Hill as the most reliable interior defensive lineman. If the Bengals are serious about fixing their defense, they should at least call Minnesota on Hargrave to see if they can make a deal happen.
49ers reportedly expected to receive ‘big offers’ for potential Mac Jones trade
“As any player on our team, including myself and John [Lynch], you always listen to people and trade offers, but we’re also not into getting rid of good players,” Shanahan told reporters at his end-of-season press conference in Santa Clara last month. “So, I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.”
Tafur floated the idea of a price war for Jones, writing, “The bidding starts with a third-round pick … do we hear a second-round pick? Going once, going twice …”
And in a hypothetical 49ers-Vikings trade laid out by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell last week, Minnesota received Jones and a 2027 third-round while sending a 2026 second-round pick, 2027 fifth-round pick (conditional) and 2028 third-round pick (conditional) to San Francisco.
Should Vikings Look to Free Agency or Draft to Replace Aaron Jones?
The argument for signing a free agent back — or perhaps keeping Jones on a restructured deal — is that a veteran might be a better fit for the Vikings’ win-now roster in 2026. Rookies come with uncertainty, and Kevin O’Connell’s team may not have time to wait on development in a year where getting back to the playoffs is a must. Addressing RB in free agency also wouldn’t box the Vikings into a scenario where they need to draft one early in April regardless of how the board unfolds. Instead, they could use their top-100 picks on positions of greater value.
The downside to pursuing a starting-caliber running back in free agency is that it costs money. Javonte Williams just got a three-year, $24 million deal to stay with the Cowboys. The top two backs on the market — Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and Breece Hall — are likely going to command north of $10 million per year. The next tier of free agent backs — Travis Etienne, Rico Dowdle, and Rachaad White — will push to be in the Williams range. Walker and Hall are around 25 years old, but the other three are all 27 or 28, which is already around the time when RBs can begin to decline.
J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings’ quarterback pursuit and what we’ve learned at the NFL combine
Coach Kevin O’Connell hadn’t publicly discussed the subject in more than a month. That changed Tuesday. O’Connell expressed confidence in McCarthy’s trajectory. He acknowledged McCarthy’s lack of availability because of injuries and how that has affected his development. He reiterated the importance of the need for competition.
“It’s about consistency,” O’Connell said of McCarthy, “and inevitably, it’s going to be about that competition being a catalyst for making up on some of that lost time.”
In a separate session with the media, Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski, who is acting as the interim general manager through the NFL Draft, described the team’s pursuit as finding a baseline level of quarterback play. He and the team won’t rule out any realistic possibilities.
“We’re going to explore every opportunity,” Brzezinski said, “and I don’t think there’s anything specifically we’re looking for. We can’t manufacture anything that’s not there. No. 1, what are the options? Is it reciprocal? Is it financially doable? There are a lot of things that go into it.”
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He noted that with the Vikings, specifically, you can sense how aggressively the fans yearn for a young quarterback who can become the face of the franchise. That, he believes, adds pressure.
“If I can be candid, I’m not sure that’s fair all of the time — the pressure and the criticism,” he said. “I can tell you that (McCarthy) is a fabulous person. He cares. He works really hard. He wants to be successful. And he wants to win. I can tell you, however J.J. McCarthy’s career ends, he’s going to maximize what’s in that body and his potential. Part of it is going to be staying healthy.”
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The Vikings’ first order of business is smoothing out their salary-cap situation. The team is projected to be about $43 million in the red, according to Over the Cap.
“People like to talk about the cap being a myth or whatever, and you’re able to manipulate the cap,” Brzezinski said. “But at the end of the day, the cap is a hard cap. Every dollar you spend is coming due. The last two years, we’re almost $100 million in cash over cap. So, it just makes logical sense that the bill is coming due. We do have to navigate it and navigate it responsibly. But our goal is going to be to build around a core. Obviously, we have to make some hard decisions.”
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“I want to be a vertical, wide-zone team,” O’Connell said. “I think the teams that do it right are still attacking, crossing the line of scrimmage, playing on the opponent’s side of the line of scrimmage. These guys know how to do it. … They know things that, quite honestly, will help me a ton with where I think we need to get to from that aspect.”
Takeaways from Kevin O’Connell & Rob Brzezinski Combine Media Sessions
When O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah spoke at their respective end-of-season press conferences in January, they mentioned a desire to make the QB room as competitive as possible with the goals of continuing to develop J.J. McCarthy and provide depth behind the player who started his first 10 career games in 2025 but has dealt with multiple injuries in his first two seasons.
The expressed intent has remained the same as Minnesota gears up for the opening of free agency on March 11 and continues preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft (April 23-25).
“The nature of true competition is I think we’re going to try to evaluate all the options that we may have to enhance our quarterback room at the different levels of that, really looking at it from a standpoint of how do we how do we make sure we’re elevating that position through the daily [process], every meeting, every walk-through, every practice, having a competitive environment where I think it’s going to bring out the best of all those players.”
O’Connell noted the traits that McCarthy demonstrated in his first training camp before suffering a torn meniscus in Minnesota’s 2024 preseason opener prompted “positive feelings.”
“There’s been some circumstances that have naturally hurt his chances of having a smooth development phase, but he still has shown a lot of the traits that we feel we can continue to build on,” O’Connell said. “The best way to build on those things is having a daily focus of consistency, of needing to be at your best for the other 10 guys in the huddle, and that’s not to say be perfect, but that is to say daily growth and daily improvement that will inevitably help not only that player reach his ceiling, but our whole team improve because that position has such an impact on it.”
Brzezinski added: “We’re focused on competition in that room like we are in every room.”
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Regardless of the approach, Brzezinski said the team has a “ton of confidence” in McCarthy.
“He’s been through a lot of adversity, and guess what? This is a really, really hard job with a lot of pressure,” Brzezinski said. “I think even in our organization and with our history, everybody’s yearning for that young franchise quarterback, and if I can be candid, I’m not sure it’s fair all the time, the pressure and the criticism, because I can tell you, he is a fabulous person. He cares, he works really hard, he wants to be successful and he wants to win.”
Cap Stuff
Starting Point : 2026 Initial Deficit : -$43,200,000
Cuts
Aaron Jones & Ryan Kelly : +$16,097,647
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Trades
Javon Hargrave and a 2027 6th to Ravens for a 2026 5th : +$14,955,882
Pick 97 to the Saints for Derek Carr and their 2026 5th plus the Saints pay 20M of his cash due which is 50M
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Restructures
Justin Jefferson (Max) : +$17,581,250
Christian Darrisaw (Max) : +$8,440,050
Jonathan Greenard (Max) : +$12,731,250
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Redo/Extensions : Cap cost
TJ Hockenson 2 yr 22M : +$9,361,176
Brian O’Neill 3 yr 72M : +$13,311,765
Derek Carr 3 yr 75M : ($13,115,000)
Harrison Smith 1 yr 7.3M : ($1,500,000)
ERFA tender Bo Richter & Zavier Scott : ($136,044)
Jalen Redmond 3 yr 25.5M : ($1,670,000)
Ryan Wright 2 yr 6M : ($960,000)
Andrew Depaola 1 yr 1.8M : ($795,000)
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Signings : Cap Cost
DT Logan Hall 3 yr 24M : ($4,715,000)
CB Asante Samuel 2 yr 11M : ($3,615,000)
RB Michael Carter 2 yr 6M : ($1,330,000)
LB Micah Mcfadden 2 yr 6M : ($1,130,000)
LB Troy Andersen 1 yr 1.465M : ($576,667)
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Final 2026 Cap Space : $19,729,956
Final 2027 Cap Space : $2,251,541
Note: If the team cuts Allen and Metellus the 2027 Cap Space grows to $28,096,541
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Draft Picks for 2026
Round : Pick : Transaction Note
Round 1 : #18 : Original Pick
Round 2 : #49 : Original Pick
Round 3 : #82 : Original Pick
Round 5 : #148 : From NO (Carr Trade)
Round 5 : #160 : From Ravens (Hargrave Trade)
Round 5 : #161 : From PHI (Sam Howell Trade)
Round 6 : #194 : From IND (Blackmon Trade)
Round 7 : #234 : Original Pick
Round 7 : #240 : From HOU (Akers Trade)
Yore Mock
Trade Partner: Browns
Sent: 1.18
Received: 1.24, 3.70
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Trade Partner: Steelers
Sent: 2.49
Received: 2.53, 4.121
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Pick 24 – Dillon Thieneman S Oregon 6’0″ 205
Pick 53 – Elijah Sarratt WR Indiana 6’3″ 213
Pick 70 – Darrell Jackson Jr. DL Florida State 6’5″ 334
Pick 82 – Jake Slaughter IOL Florida Florida 6’5″ 303
Pick 121 – Nick Singleton RB Penn State 6’0″ 221
Pick 148 – Skyler Gill-Howard DL Texas Tech 6’1″ 290
Pick 160 – Jude Bowry OT Boston College 6’5″ 308
Pick 161 – Tacario Davis CB Washington 6’3″ 200
Pick 194 – Keyshaun Elliott LB Arizona State 6’2″ 235
Pick 234 – Riley Nowakowski TE Indiana 6’1″ 249
Pick 240 – Logan Fano EDGE Utah 6’5″ 260
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Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State