Second Week of Vikings Offseason Delivered 4 Clear Signals
The Minnesota Vikings’ offseason is in full swing — too soon because the club missed the postseason — and the team’s leaders spoke at an end-of-season press conference on Tuesday. That brought some answers while Vikings coaches attracted attention around the NFL.
Minnesota’s week wasn’t about transactions, but the club did reveal some offseason clues.
Free agency kicks off in about seven weeks, but here’s what fans learned this week about the purple team.
4 Signals the Vikings Made without Saying Them Out Loud
A rather important offseason continues.
Brian Flores in High Demand
The Washington Commanders submitted a request to interview Flores for the defensive coordinator position, a chat he evidently welcomed. It’s an odd ordeal because few people thought he would leave the Vikings in a lateral move to a notoriously dysfunctional franchise like the Commanders.
Flores also spoke with the Baltimore Ravens about their vacant head coaching gig. And after Mike Tomlin resigned, the Pittsburgh Steelers asked to interview Flores, a discussion that’s around the bend. Flores spent the 2022 campaign in Pittsburgh as Tomlin’s linebackers coach.
By now, fans should expect Flores to depart. He’s getting a lot of attention from big-name franchises that just make sense to hire him.
J.J. McCarthy Is No the Clear-Cut QB1 in 2026
The setup was simple. A layup. Both Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell were asked the same question on Tuesday: Would J.J. McCarthy be the Vikings’ QB1 in 2026? All they had to say was yes.
O’Connell spoke first and immediately talked about a quarterback competition.
“I think there has to be competition. That’s what’s going to make everybody better in that room. It’s going to be what makes our entire offense thrive through that competition. That should be how our entire organization looks at their individual roles when we compete against each other in the different aspects of the offseason,” he said.
“I ultimately think that’s what will prepare not only the starter but the next guy and the next guy, and we’ve learned we’ve got to get a lot of guys ready to play. And we’ve got to do it with a responsibility of being the best version of our offense.”
When Adofo-Mensah was asked whether McCarthy would open September as the starter, he pivoted just as clearly.
“I want the Vikings to achieve our goals. And I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs. I think he has the character and ability to be the person to do that. If I say that in 2026, that kind of binds us into a certain area.”
“The way we’ve set this team up, we built this core like we’ve always talked about, to give ourselves multiple shots at it, because you never know when there’s going to be a year where the field feels a little bit wide open, and you can make that run.”
In most organizations, this would have sounded different. You’d hear a firmer endorsement first, followed by a clean-up later if circumstances flipped. Minnesota swapped that order. The emphasis stayed on competition and optionality.
That probably means a semi-big-name quarterback is on the way — not a clipboard-holding seasoned veteran. The Vikings are positioning themselves to add a quarterback, likely through free agency with someone like Malik Willis or via trade for a passer such as Kyler Murray or Mac Jones, both realistic targets if Minnesota decides not to leave 2026 to chance.
Defensive Passing Game Coordinator Daronte Jones Getting Looks
Like Flores, Jones is receiving attention in the league’s coaching carousel.
New York Post‘s Mark Cannizzaro wrote, “The Jets on Thursday made their first offseason coaching move by requesting to interview Vikings defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones for their vacant defensive coordinator job.”
“Jets head coach Aaron Glenn fired his hand-picked defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, after 14 games this season with the team’s defense struggling. The Jets defense finished ranked 31st in points against, allowing 503 this season.”
The interest wasn’t exclusive to New York. The Dallas Cowboys put in the same request for Jones.
If Flores returns to the Vikings, Jones could exit stage left, either to New York or Dallas. Jones last coordinated a defense in 2021 — collegiately at LSU. Otherwise, if Flores bolts, Jones could be an internal replacement candidate for Minnesota.
Jordan Addison’s Arrest
Addison was arrested for the third time in 2.5 years, marking yet another bizarre and unfortunate incident as a member of the Vikings. This time, he refused to leave a Florida casino after repeated requests from security.
Since the summer of 2023, Addison has produced this resume of shenanigans:
- Arrested for driving 140 MPH on a Twin Cities freeway
- Arrested for drunkenness on a Los Angeles interstate while alseep behind the wheel
- Missed a Vikings regular season walkthrough in London
- Arrested for trespassing misdemeanor at a Florida casino
With Addison, it’s one battle after another.
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