Vikings Rumors Buzz on a Head Coach Hot Seat, Nonexistent Defender, Kyler Murray
The NFL trade deadline has passed, and the Minnesota Vikings didn’t make a single move. No trades. Nada. No noise. Still, the rumor mill never sleeps in Minnesota, and speculation keeps churning around the team’s next steps.
The latest Vikings rumors touch on a former coach’s hot seat, a missing-in-action defender, and unexpected theories linking Kyler Murray to Minnesota.
Here’s a glance at the latest rumors as of Sunday, November 9th, 2025.
Vikings Rumors at the Season’s Midpoint
The chatter never really slows in the rumor mill, so let’s dissect this week’s.
Rumor: Former Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski surrendered playcalling in Cleveland, perhaps the beginning of the end.
Stefanski, who worked for the Vikings from 2006 to 2020, will no longer call the offensive plays in Cleveland.
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi wrote this week, “For the second consecutive season, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is relinquishing playcalling duties. Stefanski said Monday that offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will call plays Sunday in the team’s road game against the New York Jets. The 2-6 Browns returned from the bye and held a practice Monday. The Browns have the third-lowest scoring offense in the NFL, averaging 15.8 points per game.”
“Cleveland made a change at quarterback four games into the season, benching the since-traded veteran Joe Flacco for rookie Dillon Gabriel. The move, though, hasn’t been enough to jump-start Cleveland’s offense. Gabriel, the No. 94 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, has completed 59.9% of his passes for 702 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions this season.”
Playcalling relinquishment is usually the last stand before a head coach gets terminated.
Oyefusi added, “His 26.8 Total QBR ranks above only Tennessee Titans rookie Cam Ward. Stefanski confirmed that Gabriel would continue to be the team’s starting quarterback, which he said would be the case before the bye.”
Stefanski is absolutely on the hot seat, whether he deserves it or not.
Rumor: CB Dwight McGlothern is totally buried on Minnesota’s depth chart.
When Jeff Okudah sat out last weekend with his second concussion of the year, most assumed Dwight McGlothern would slide right into the CB3 spot — after all, that’s where he sits on the depth chart.
But Minnesota’s coaching staff saw it differently.
Instead, veteran Fabian Moreau got the call-up from the practice squad, logging 27 defensive snaps while McGlothern never saw the field. The rookie hasn’t played meaningful snaps all season outside of late-game cleanup duty.
This situation’s a little strange, let’s just say that up front.
Someone in the Vikings’ building — whether it’s Kwesi Adofo-Mensah or Kevin O’Connell — clearly likes McGlothern. He wouldn’t have made the 53-man roster otherwise. Cracking that group takes real juice, and McGlothern did enough to earn it.
But when things got tight — say, at Detroit when an injury forced the defense to dig into its cornerback depth — Brian Flores skipped right over McGlothern and went with Moreau instead.
Given that choice, it feels backward. McGlothern probably belongs on the practice squad, with Moreau on the 53-man. A simple role reversal would make more sense based on how the staff is actually deploying its corners.
For now, at least, McGlothern’s been bumped down the pecking order — another quiet reminder that the Vikings’ secondary hierarchy remains fluid deep into the year.
Rumor: Kyler Murray could be a 2026 option for the Vikings if disaster strikes with J.J. McCarthy
Murray could be softly-benched at the moment; Murray could legitimately be hurt. The Cardinals’ messaging is confusing.
ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss noted Tuesday, “Quarterback Jacoby Brissett will get his fourth straight start for the Cardinals on Sunday in Seattle against the Seahawks, Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday. The decision means Kyler Murray will remain on the sideline as he continues his recovery from a foot injury that has kept him out since Oct. 5.”
“Gannon initially said after Arizona’s 27-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night that ‘nothing’s changed’ in terms of his starting quarterback, meaning Brissett would back up Murray once he is fully healed. But Gannon said Tuesday he likes how well the offense is operating under Brissett’s guidance.”
Do the Vikings need a QB1 for 2026? Nope. But what if McCarthy goes down again?
The rookie already missed his entire first season with a torn meniscus and five more games this year with a high ankle sprain. Odds are he stays healthy — three injuries in two years would be brutal luck — and Murray ends up somewhere else entirely.
Still, if McCarthy were to suffer a season-ending injury that lingered into 2026, the Vikings would have to look elsewhere — the draft, free agency, or the trade market.
And that’s where Murray enters the frame. If quarterback options turn thin and desperation sets in, Minnesota could at least poke around on a potential Murray deal. It’s unlikely, but not impossible.
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