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The Vikings’ 3 Biggest Offseason Turning Points So Far
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- The Vikings’ 3 Biggest Offseason Turning Points So Far
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings ' offseason, through about six weeks, has not been quiet, and the club has just three weeks until free agency , when the lid really pops off. To recap, the following is a list of the three most meaningful events of the purple team's offseason to date — with several more to come.
Three developments have shaped Minnesota's offseason early, setting the priorities at quarterback, the staff, and the front office.
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In fact, the Vikings ' offseason is truly defined by three main events.
Three Turning Points Already Defining Minnesota's Offseason
Counting down the order (No. 1 = biggest offseason moments to date), here we go.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell walks the sideline as the second quarter progresses on Sep. 28, 2025, during an NFL International Series matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. O'Connell tracked the action closely amid the charged overseas atmosphere that framed Minnesota's appearance on the global stage. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
3. Vikings Announced "Deep QB Room" as Main Priority
After an initial delay for unknown reasons, the Vikings held a press conference to recap 2025 and discuss the future. Former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was even there.
Asked if the Vikings would commit to J.J. McCarthy as the 2026 QB1, head coach Kevin O'Connell — now de facto general manager after Adofo-Mensah's termination — replied : "Ultimately, I think in the quarterback room, it's about having just the deepest, most talented room you possibly can, every single year."
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"What that looks like at a pretty impactful position on your salary cap, when you're able to possibly plan for your depth chart looking in a way where you can be competitive no matter what. I think there has to be competition at quarterback. I think that's what's gonna make everybody better in that room. It's gonna be what makes our entire offense thrive through that competition."
His response to the McCarthy question … was "we need a deep quarterback room."
Adofo-Mensah, now irrelevant, was asked the same question, and he said the Vikings must achieve their offseason goals, completely ducking a commitment to McCarthy.
In that moment, from O'Connell and Adofo-Mensah, fans learned that Minnesota would not simply find another Sam Howell or Carson Wentz ; the Vikings will trade for or sign a quarterback to push McCarthy to the limit this summer or flat-out take his job.
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NFL- and Vikings-themed media have speculated this week that Kyler Murray could be the Vikings' target. ESPN's Josh Weinfuss wrote about Murray's trade price tag last month: "An NFC source believes the starting price for Murray, if Arizona is interested in trading him, could start with a second-round pick."
"That source believes if the Cardinals can trade Murray, they will. The league source believes Murray's market starts with a third-round pick. That source compared Murray's situation with Geno Smith 's when he was traded from Seattle to Las Vegas last March for a third-round."
2. Brian Flores Signs Contract Extension
Flores received head coaching sniffs from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens , two fundamentally solid organizations that seemed on a track to perhaps hire him. The Steelers ultimately — and hilariously — chose Mike McCarthy, and the Ravens landed on Jesse Minter .
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores stands on the field on Jan. 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, during the NFC Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Flores surveyed the scene as his defense prepared for another postseason challenge under the playoff spotlight. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Striking out for a fifth consecutive offseason in finding a head coaching job, Flores re-signed with the Vikings for a reported $6 million per year. He's not going anywhere.
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Minnesota's defense will feature continuity at the top and have a chance to build on these numbers:
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1st in Pass Rush Win Rate
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2nd in Yards Allowed
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3rd in Defense DVOA
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3rd in EPA/Play
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4th in Defensive 3rd Down Conv%
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7th in Points Allowed
The Vikings would've risked a statistical tumble by hiring a non-Flores newcomer.
1. The Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Era Ends
Some, including this website, whispered in November and December that the Vikings needed a new general manager because Adofo-Mensah's awful drafting habits were coming home to roost. The team held a 4-8 record, and McCarthy could not stay on the field.
Minnesota rallied, winning five games to close out 2025 and finishing the wayward campaign with a right-side-up record. Black Monday rolled around, and the Vikings did not fire Adofo-Mensah. He was safe. He was allowed to move freely in the 2026 offseason, deciding whether to keep McCarthy or try something new.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah observes pregame activity on Sep. 28, 2025, at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, before Minnesota's International Series contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Adofo-Mensah stood along the sideline as players finalized warmups in the unique overseas setting. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
But after Sam Darnold and his Seattle Seahawks won the NFC Championship, something changed in Vikingland. The team's owners, the Wilfs, fired Adofo-Mensah five days later, marking one of the most shocking offseason transactions in Vikings history because of the timing. Nobody was terribly surprised that an executive with Adofo-Mensah's draft record would be canned, especially after bungling the Darnold matter, but firing him 3.5 weeks after the end of the regular season was bizarre.
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The team promoted to capologist Rob Brzezinski to interim general manager, making O'Connell the personnel general manager by default until the Wilfs hire a formal replacement.
The Adofo-Mensah era is over, and perhaps the bad drafts will cease.
