The 7 Biggest Offseason Priorities Facing the Vikings in 2026
The Minnesota Vikings thought they could contend for a Super Bowl in 2026, but the lie detector determined that was false. The franchise will renew those stakes in 2026, and to nibble at the proposition, a momentous offseason is required. Therefore, these are the priorities.
The offseason is here, and Minnesota, like all teams, has a to-do list.
Minnesota will have a slim budget and about nine draft picks to complete the task.
Seven Major Items at the Top of Vikings’ Offseason List
Consider this the Vikings’ checklist.
1. Find the Best J.J. McCarthy Insurance Available
McCarthy ranked last in the NFL among all quarterbacks in EPA+CPOE. He’s also missed 24 games of an eligible 34 in two years. Put bluntly, he cannot be trusted if the Vikings’ goal is to contend for a Super Bowl in 2026.
So, the team must decide to trade for a player like Kyle Murray or Mac Jones, sign a seasoned backup plan like Joe Flacco, fire off a trade for an “upside guy” like Anthony Richardson or Will Levis, draft another quarterback, or sign Aaron Rodgers and his circus.
2. Keep Brian Flores or Find a Competent Replacement
Flores may or may not depart the organization this month: the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers have interviewed him (or plan to) for their open head coaching jobs. If he does not grab one of those positions, Minnesota must re-sign Flores, and the franchise seems to think it has a clear path to do that.
If not, the Vikings will need a replacement option, probably someone on this list:
- Jonathan Gannon
- Patrick Graham
- Daronte Jones
- Raheem Morris
3. Find a Young CB for the Future
Since 2016, the Vikings have attempted to draft cornerbacks — that don’t pan out for a variety of reasons, some of them downright tragic. Here’s the list:
- Mackensie Alexander
- Mekhi Blackmon
- Andrew Booth
- Kris Boyd
- Cameron Dantzler
- Akayleb Evans
- Jeff Gladney
- Harrison Hand
- Mike Hughes
- Khyree Jackson
The Vikings seriously have not drafted a corner with staying power since 2015: Trae Waynes. They must find out, ideally from the draft.
4. Draft a Young RB
Minnesota needs a young running back. Period. The revolving door of aging legs and patched-together bodies has reached an expiration date, and continuing to recycle that strategy won’t unlock Kevin O’Connell’s offense to its fullest.
That puts the responsibility squarely on Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Draft a younger pair of legs and turn them loose. A rookie running back brings energy — and a reason for O’Connell to diversify the offense instead of abandoning the run the moment the scoreboard tilts the wrong way.
The draft options will look something like this:
- Kaytron Allen (Penn State)
- Jonah Coleman (Washington)
- Emmett Johnson (Nebraska)
- Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)
- Jadarian Price (Notre Dame)
- Nick Singleton (Penn State)
- Mike Washington (Arkansas)
5. Sign, Promote, or Draft the Right Center
Ryan Kelly will likely retire. If the club does not trust Blake Brandel or Michael Jurgens for the job, well, a starting center will be needed.
Jake Slaughter of Florida or Connor Lew from Auburn might make sense in the draft. Otherwise, Tyler Linderbaum of the Baltimore Ravens will headline a decent free-agent class at center.
There’s a world where: a) Kelly comes back b) Brandel is good enough to promote c) Jurgens is trustworthy enough as a starter. Still, the Vikings must nail the center decision and avoid a half-measured fix.
6. Replace Harrison Smith
Smith sure looked like a man who was about to retire in the Week 18 game against the Packers. He’ll be 37 next month, an incredibly elderly age for safety, and especially a hard-hitting one like Smith.
If the Vikings want to develop a safety, players of that position can often be found in mid- or later rounds of the draft.
Suppose they want a veteran replacement. These safeties are on tap for free agency:
- Reed Blankenship
- Coby Bryant
- Jaquan Brisker
- Andre Cisco
- Nick Cross
- Kamren Curl
- Kyle Dugger
- Alohi Gilman
- Geno Stone
- Jalen Thompson
- Donovan Wilson
7. Make the Right Call at TE
Minnesota can save up to $16 million by releasing Hockenson. That’s enticing for a cash-strapped team.
However, if they do drop Hockenson after four seasons, well, the Vikings will need a tight end. O’Connell basically used Hockenson as a blocking tight end in 2025, and the league’s fourth-highest-paid tight end shouldn’t be relegated to that assignment.
Overall, if Minnesota cuts Hockenson, it must sign a free agent like Isaiah Likely or draft Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq. Downgrading at tight end doesn’t seem smart for a sputtering offense that ranked 28th per EPA/Play this season.
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