The Silver Linings of the Vikings’ Weird Season Are Hard to Ignore
It’s almost over for the Minnesota Vikings, the finish of a strange season that once showcased Super Bowl hopes but ended in a familiar 8-9 or 9-8 record, depending on the outcome of Week 18. Thankfully, with the season nearing completion, silver linings are now apparent.
This wasn’t a clean season or a pretty one, but it did produce tangible evidence. Young defenders popping, better answers than expected in key spots, and a late shift that changed how 2026 should be approached.
Minnesota cycled through three quarterbacks and battled injuries from the very start of the season to the bitter end, but here’s the stuff to think positively about as the offseason begins in about nine days.
The Signs Minnesota Can Actually Build On
No, it wasn’t all bad for the 2025 Vikings.
The Realization of Dallas Turner
At this point, Dallas Turner’s blossoming dominance isn’t a storyline. This is a trend. A good one. The Christmas dub over the Lions was simply the latest data point. The speed shows up every snap, the pressure is constant, and the developmental curve is moving in the right direction.
The return on the 2024 investment is no longer theoretical. As Turner tightens the details of his game, the gap between his ceiling and his current impact keeps shrinking. When that closes, the original draft pick and trade won’t need to be defended.
Turner has 6 sacks entering Week 18, up from 3 as a rookie, and 3 forced fumbles. The numbers are starting to flood into the box score for the 22-year-old.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores said about Turner when Jonathan Greenard went to injured reserve a couple of weeks ago: “Yeah, I think versatility is something that’s important for every player, and Dallas has that. So, to play on-the-ball, off-the-ball, left, right, I think he’s done a good job on all of those spots.
“Being a young player, I think he’s trying to be a sponge and take it all in. I think he wants to do whatever is best for the team, and he’s done that. He’s been successful in, really, both spots. We’ll always continue to put guys in where we think they’ll play their best, but also help the team.”
The Glimmer of Hope on J.J. McCarthy
For 2.5 games this season, McCarthy played like the real deal. Of course, his first six starts looked like a trainwreck at times, but even those contests featured clutch moments that felt like they came out of nowhere in the 4th Quarter.
Most rookie quarterbacks will struggle in the first few games, incrementally improve to an average production level, and blast off if they’re destined to have staying power. McCarthy struggled profusely, skipped the average production level part, and played like a fringe Pro Bowler for 2.5 games.
There’s hope that the guy can become the real deal. He just needs to stay healthy.
Jalen Redmond Is For Real
Redmond’s early splash grabbed attention. What followed has validated it. Redmond’s production inevitably normalized after the hot start, but the overall profile never slipped. He remains near the top of the position in stops, tackles, batted passes, pressures, and sacks — a rare combination for a defensive tackle who wasn’t on anyone’s preseason short list.
The efficiency backs it up. A 72.7 PFF grade entering Week 18 places him comfortably inside the top tier of the position, and the weekly tape matches the numbers. He’s consistent, disruptive, and technically sound — not a flash player living off a few big moments.
That’s how extensions get earned. Redmond didn’t arrive with expectations, but he’s removed the doubt. The UFL background isn’t a cool factoid anymore.
A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness argued this week that Redmond was snubbed from the Pro Bowl process, “Now, it’s hard to make the Pro Bowl on the defensive line, as there are only three spots at a deep position. Should he have made the Pro Bowl over Jalen Carter, Leonard Williams, and Quinnen Williams?”
“There’s an argument that he should be, especially since Quinnen has played in just six games in the NFC. However, all three are certainly deserving. It’s a tough position to make the roster, but Redmond was certainly deserving.”
Coach No Longer on the Hot Seat
Not long ago, Minnesota was drifting. The season felt heavy, directionless, and fragile enough that even Kevin O’Connell’s long-term footing wasn’t immune from scrutiny. Losses piled up, confidence thinned, and the margin for optimism all but vanished.
That version of the season no longer exists. Four straight wins changed the texture of everything — not just the record, but the posture of the team. Minnesota now looks organized, competitive, and pointed forward, the kind of group that stabilizes late rather than continues an embarrassing collapse.
The alternate path was obvious and ugly: a dead finish, empty momentum, and a winter spent explaining failure. Instead, the Vikings have flipped the script. Whatever 2025 ultimately becomes in the vein of 8-9 or 9-8, it now feeds into 2026 with clarity instead of damage control.
O’Connell was never officially on the hot seat, but he’s removed any naysayers that might have insisted on it.
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