First and foremost, Happy New Year to everyone in the DN family. I hope 2026 brings health, happiness, and less collective agita from our shared passion: the Minnesota Vikings.
THAT’S A WRAP
The curtain closes on the 2025 season against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. The fact that this team has shown a lot of heart and fight over the last month and can actually finish with a winning record is important and noteworthy, but, like all things Vikings, the experience is tinged with a tangible degree of frustration over what could have been.
An improving J.J. McCarthy, supported by Brian Flores’ dominant defense, peaking at precisely the right time. Who knows what could have happened – especially this season. This will be the most wide-open tournament in both conferences that I can remember. I mean, would a Jaguars vs. Seahawks Super Bowl shock anyone?
I’ve been over the “what-ifs” with this team so many times this season that there’s no point in getting into it again. Better luck with injuries, or a few breaks here and there on the field, and we would be the team no one would want to draw in the playoffs. This statistic says it all: The Vikings have allowed the fewest points in the NFC North (and the 4th fewest in the conference), yet our –2 point differential is last in the division, over 30 points behind the third-place team, the Chicago Bears. Gross. Ahh, yes, the 2025 Bears. Channeling the Scooby-Doo “let’s see who this really is” meme, I like to refer to them with their mask off: the 2022 Minnesota Vikings.
NOW THE QUESTIONS COME
But alas, we will play only for pride against a Packers team locked into the 7th seed for the third year in a row. They have their own short- and long-term issues to address, but at least they’re in the dance. Again, gross. Finishing 9-8 will be nice – especially if McCarthy shows continued improvement in the finale – but it will not change the fact that, given the expectations, any objective classification of this season must include a folder clearly labeled “disappointment.” It also won’t matter if we win 70-0; the minute the game clock strikes zero, this team will be bombarded by so many question marks to begin the offseason that it would make the Riddler blush.
QB1 FOR 2026 IS…
First and foremost, there will be endless conjecture about the quarterback position. The number of social media posts, blogs, and segments speculating about trades for Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert has already begun and will only grow over the next three to four months. The underlying justification for this will be the pressure on KAM and KOC heading into Year 5 with no playoff wins. I believe the odds of such a massive trade are unlikely but not inconceivable. That alone is all it takes for the rumor mill to churn aggressively – and it will. The likelihood of each of those options varies widely, from contract structures (and dead cap hits) to how the playoffs unfold to how many teams are in the mix (and the compensation) to what the Vikings would have to do cap-wise to make any trade work—all topics that can and will be discussed, both here and elsewhere, in the coming months.
What do I want? Sign or trade for a top-flight backup as insurance, have McCarthy enjoy a fantastic offseason focused on improving mechanics, hit the ground running in September, stay healthy, continue to improve, become elite, and win five Super Bowls over the next 10 years. This is my preferred narrative, dammit, and I’m sticking to it. But we don’t reside in Fantasyland, either. The injury history is all too real, and if one or more of those names become available, KAM has to make the call(s) at least.
FLORES AS IMMEDIATE PRIORITY A, B, C, 1, 2, 3…
Then there’s the future of Brian Flores. I’ve been on this for a while now. The McCarthy/QB drama sucked all the oxygen out of the room since Labor Day, but this has always been under the radar, with importance second only to who will be under center for us come Week 1 in September. It’s now front-and-center, with Vikings social media accounts dissecting the tense phrasing Flores chose in his presser (e.g., “loved my time here”) as an indication he’s gone. That’s a bit much, folks. Maybe he’s loved his time here up to this point, and that could positively affect his decision to stay, possibly? Then again, we are the Vikings.
Regardless, some things are clear. Making him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL on either side of the ball is a no-brainer. If he wants additional input on the draft process and personnel decisions on defense, and whatever job title he wants? You got it. These things are so obvious that, barring another well-deserved NFL head coaching gig, any other (essentially) lateral move (which the Vikings can’t stop) would invite serious questions and legit blowback from an already irritable fanbase. If the pressure on KAM and KOC for 2026 was already sky-high, it would turn outright galactic if Flores departs for another non-head-coaching opportunity.
CAN THE 2026 DRAFT DELIVER?
Regardless of what happens with the quarterback position, the Vikings will not be major players in free agency, given budgetary restraints. Multiple current starters could be cut or traded to close an estimated $30+ million deficit, even with some unused 2025 cap space rolled over. Harrison Smith’s possible retirement is also looming. At best, we wait until the first waves of free agency play out to find some value through reworked deals and deferred financial hits on the ledger.
Either way, the Vikings’ current eight picks in the 2026 NFL draft must pay dividends. We can have some hope. Injuries aside, McCarthy’s improvement since the Commanders game has been highly encouraging. We can take heart in the late-season emergence of Dallas Turner. Donovan Jackson has had a solid rookie campaign despite battling injuries. While not a draft pick, Jalen Redmond has been a revelation, and Pro Bowl honors are a legit possibility for 2026 given what we’ve seen this season. Other young players, such as LDR and Theo Jackson, have also performed well.
The momentum must be maintained in April’s draft, with a focus on the secondary and defensive line. Center and WR3 could also be addressed in the mid-rounds. Ryan Kelly’s health concerns and Tai Felton’s readiness to possibly take over for a departing Jalen Nailor will be issues to keep an eye on this spring. Either way, ongoing improvement is a must. We can’t afford to take a step back, and certainly not come within a light year of the 2022 draft nightmare.
BEATING THE PACKERS STILL MATTERS
Which brings us to Sunday. As of this writing, McCarthy looks like he will make the start, while the Packers will go with Clayton Tune and probably a whole bunch of other backups with nothing to play for. In the end, it’s still the Packers, and anytime you can defeat them, regardless of the circumstances, it’s a gratifying experience.
With a chance to finish 9-8 and just ½ game out of the playoffs, my original 12-5 prediction doesn’t look quite as abysmal as it did after the debacle against the Seattle Seahawks in late November. Not ideal, but not embarrassing, either. Let’s be honest, entering December, five wins looked more likely than a winning record. And, of course, those who took the over on the preseason 8.5 over/under will also be watching this one closely.
For one last time, let’s see how badly I botched this one in May:
Week 18: Green Bay Packers: Let’s say we need this one, as do the Packers, for a potential Wild Card berth. The same logic applies here as the week prior – i.e., we’re better later in the season, and won on the road previously. This one will be tough, as most division games are, but we send the Packers home with another loss (and possibly knock them out of the playoffs). That would be an ideal end to the regular season, right?
Minnesota Vikings: 30
Green Bay Packers: 26
OK, not terrible either. A single break here or there, and this game very well could have been for the final playoff spot and a chance to send the Packers home. We need to enter this potentially chaotic offseason with some positive vibes. I think we will. Justin Jefferson also reaches 1,000 yards. Too little, too late, but five in a row to end the season.
Minnesota Vikings: 27
Green Bay Packers: 10
Oh, what could have been…
