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The 5 Biggest Mistakes of the Vikings 2025 Season
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- The 5 Biggest Mistakes of the Vikings 2025 Season
Kevin O’Connell Distills the Quarterback Debate Down to a Single Word
The Minnesota Vikings came into the 2025 season on the back of a 14-win season in 2024. The 2025 season did not go so well for the purple team.
This wasn't a single blunder — Minnesota stacked a few medium risks that compounded once injuries and depth stress-tested the plan.
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Even allowing for the risk of moving to a young quarterback who had never played a competitive game before this season, going from 13 wins to losing eight of the first 12 games was a disappointment. The Vikings recovered to a 9-8 record, which only added more weight to the thoughts of what could have been for a team built to compete.
Five Gaffes That Steered the Vikings' 2025 Season
A disappointing season inevitably leads to questions of what went wrong. We can look back at the offseason to identify what I believe are the five biggest mistakes of the Vikings' 2025 season.
Not Re-Signing Sam Darnold
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Full disclosure. I applauded the decision to let Sam Darnold walk free and spend big on strengthening in the trenches. I felt that was the right path to follow, unsure that Darnold could repeat the success of his 2024 season.
Unfortunately, it didn't work at all, with J.J. McCarthy 's injury issues continuing, Carson Wentz also getting injured, and QB play generally inconsistent to poor.
Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) rolls out to pass during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images.
We don't know what the conversations were regarding Darnold's chances of being the QB1 in Minnesota. He went to Seattle and helped them become the NFC's number one seed this season, while Vikings QBs mainly were making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
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McCarthy may yet come good, but the 2025 season will be looked back on as what might have been if only the Vikings had a consistent QB. The more success Darnold continues to have, the worse this move seems.
Wasted Money in Free Agency
The other part of the QB mistake is how the money saved was spent on free agency. The Vikings were second only to the New England Patriots in free-agent spending last year, and while the Patriots are playing playoff football, the Vikings aren't. Minnesota spent big money on four additions in the trenches, and the results weren't what was hoped.
Ryan Kelly boosted the interior of the offensive line at center, and Will Fries at right guard. Kelly looked the part of the solid, experienced center the team needed, but concussions meant he only played in eight games, and there's doubt over his future in the sport.
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Fries was signed to a huge five-year, $88 million contract on the back of a small sample size of excellent play in 2024 before a broken leg ended his season. It was a risky move, and although Fries proved his fitness, he actually became the only Vikings lineman to play all 17 games. His performance was reasonably solid, but at the price point, it needs to improve going forward.
The DL saw a couple of additions who had been very good in the past but were coming off injuries. Minnesota paid big for Javon Hargrove and Jonathan Allen and didn't get their money's worth.
Hargrove had the better year, still showing he has prowess as a pass rusher and being reasonable in run defense. Allen also showed pass-rush ability but struggled badly in run defense. Both were outperformed by Jalen Redmond , who was playing on a minimum contract. With huge cap hits in 2026 , the future of both Hargrave and Allen will come under scrutiny.
Not Re-Signing Camryn Bynum
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In hindsight, spending some of that FA money on Camryn Bynum might have been a better use of resources. Bynum had established himself as the team's deep safety over four seasons since being drafted in the fourth round by the Vikings.
Sep 7, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts safety Cam Bynum (0) reacts after a play during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
At the end of his rookie deal, Bynum got a four-year, $60 million contract from the Indianapolis Colts . Bynum had a good first season in Indianapolis, while Josh Metellus struggled moving from his hybrid role in Brian Flores' defense to playing more traditional safety. Now, with Harrison Smith possibly set to retire, the Vikings look very short at safety heading towards the 2026 season.
Not Swinging Big for a Cornerback
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The cupboard was bare at cornerback at the conclusion of the 2024 season. Minnesota gave Byron Murphy a big contract to return. They also brought in Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah ; however, there was no big-name signing in free agency, and an early draft pick wasn't used at the position, despite a lot of expectation that might happen.
Murphy didn't get near the standard he set in 2024, when he made the Pro Bowl, and any hopes that Okudah might find his mojo and fulfil the promise that once saw him drafted third overall never materialised.
Rodgers came to Minnesota as a Super Bowl champion and was given a more prominent role with the Vikings. He showed glimpses, including a great game against the Bengals , that earned him the first-ever perfect ranking from Pro Football Focus .
There were inconsistent games, but Rodgers had a good first season he hopes to build on. The Vikings' secondary lacked a true lockdown CB1 in 2025. It needs to be remedied for the 2026 season.
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Not Making the Rushing Attack a Point of Emphasis from Week 1
McCarthy complemented a strong rushing attack at Michigan to have success in college football. It would be sensible to put him in a similar situation, at least to start his NFL career.
Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) against the Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (27) on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers defeated the Vikings 23-6. © Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
With the OL revamped and Jordan Mason added to Aaron Jones in the backfield, it looked like the Vikings were going to do that – then they didn't. Kevin O'Connell still wanted his offense to run through the passing game, and it didn't work.
During the Vikings' game-winning streak to end the season, they began seeing more tight ends on the field in larger personnel groups, and the team reached 25+ rushing attempts per game. That should continue into next season, especially if McCarthy remains QB1, but even if it ends up being someone else. The LA Rams are the prime example of making this switch while still maintaining a high-powered offense and a QB playing at an MVP level.
