GM’s Perspective: Inside the Vikings’ 2026 Blueprint for the Offseason
After last week’s call for improved quarterback play as the top priority in my blueprint for 2026 Vikings success, I will now discuss the next key items on my list. I’ll wrap up my offseason preview/blueprint for 2026 next week with a to-do list of salary cap moves I expect the Vikings to make and a look at special teams areas to improve (hint: cover kickoffs better than they did at the end of the home loss to the Bears).
Minnesota’s early roadmap is coming into focus, with clear priorities emerging well before roster churn begins.
First, I have to say in a follow-up on the QBs: with the improvement of J.J. McCarthy, the obvious key, my projection of Kirk Cousins as a potential veteran signing to challenge McCarthy and be a better No. 2 than Carson Wentz or Max Brosmer appears to have disappeared as a possibility with the Falcons hiring Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach.
Stefanski, of course, was Cousins’ offensive coordinator in Minnesota when he had one of the best seasons in 2019, earning Pro Bowl honors and his highest career passer rating (107.4) as he led the Vikings to a wild-card spot and a playoff win in New Orleans. After that season, Stefanski was hired as the Browns’ head coach.
The Vikings’ 2026 Plan Comes Into Focus
With Michael Penix Jr. coming off an ACL injury and a 3-6 record last season, while Cousins went 5-3 as his replacement, Stefanski will likely want Cousins to be his starter at least to begin next season.
Now, back to my blueprint and beyond the QBs, it starts with:
1. Kevin O’Connell solidify his coaching staff. The extension of Brian Flores as defensive coordinator (that was announced Wednesday night) is great news for the team. He is most deserving of being one of the league’s highest-paid coordinators as he comes off directing the NFL’s third-ranked defense that was excellent in the season-ending winning streak. The players believe in him, and his system, and he and O’Connell seem to have a great connection.
There is still the matter of Flores’ candidacy to be a head coach, and he’s in the mix with several teams. The Vikings certainly hope he stays in Minnesota. If he is hired for the head job elsewhere, the Vikings need to quickly elevate DB coach Daronte Jones, who is the obvious choice after he called the Vikings’ defense in a few preseason games.
Jones has other DC interest, so the Vikings will hope the timing works out for him to stay on as the new DC if Flores moves on as a head coach. The best-case scenario is that both Flores and Jones remain with the Vikings.
On the offensive side, O’Connell is looking for a new offensive line coach after Chris Kuper was not retained. Assistant O-line coach Keith Carter is a possible replacement, or O’Connell could start fresh with someone from outside the organization.
This is a key position to fill after the Vikings invested in high draft picks (first-rounders Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson, and second-rounder Brian O’Neill are high-quality players who must stay healthy, which was an issue for all of them to varying degrees last season). But too many other drafted O-linemen have not panned out (was it due to lack of talent or not being coached up well enough?).
Most recently, it was 2022 second-rounder Ed Ingram who underachieved here and was traded to Houston, where he managed to start for a playoff team. 2019 first-round center Garrett Bradbury was released last year and wound up starting for the Patriots. He wasn’t great here, but he mostly stayed on the field, which was a huge issue with Ryan Kelly, who was signed to a big free agent deal but wound up missing nine games with multiple concussions. He will likely be released to save on the salary cap and should retire.
The Vikings also spent a lot of money last offseason on right guard Will Fries. He started every game and played reasonably well, but he needs to play better to justify his five-year, $88 million deal.
2. New center: A solid center who stays healthy would be a big help to McCarthy or whoever is the Vikings QB. Kelly played well when he was on the field, but the Vikings can’t count on him to stay healthy (and he really should retire for his long-term health), so he should be released to gain $8.75 million in cap savings. That money is needed because the Vikings have to clear over $30 million in salary cap space (more on that next week).
Michael Jurgens is just OK as a backup center, as is the case with Blake Brandel, who is better as the backup tackle and guard. Neither should be the starter, so the team needs to sign a new center in free agency or use a first or second-round pick on one who can start immediately. In free agency, the top center is Baltimore’s three-time Pro Bowler, Tyler Linderbaum, who is an Iowa native and former Hawkeye. The 25-year-old may well re-sign with the Ravens, but he would be a terrific addition. He’s probably too pricy unless he takes a somewhat lesser deal to sign close to his home state.
Other free-agent possibilities include Buffalo’s Connor McGovern, Carolina’s Cade Mays, and Cleveland’s Ethan Pocic (but he’s coming off a torn Achilles, so it’s probably better to find a healthier center after the Kelly experience).
Perhaps the best, less costly approach would be to draft a starting-caliber center in the first round at No. 18 overall, or in the second round. The top prospects will crystallize in the months ahead via the Senior Bowl, Combine, and Pro Days.
3. Secondary help: The Vikings should start with convincing Harrison Smith to return for his 15th season. He was their best safety over the last half of the season and was all over the field making plays in the Week 17 win over the Lions (one sack, two tackles-for-loss, three passes broken up, and three tackles). He’s the leader of the secondary and a glue player on D. I think both Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson are shaky in coverage, and Jackson misses too many tackles on run D.
Jay Ward has potential and played well at times.
The Kyle Hamilton miss in the 2022 draft haunts the Vikings at the safety position. What a difference he would’ve made as a three-time All-Pro in Baltimore. Whether Smith stays or retires, the team should draft a safety in the first three rounds (and probably in the first two rounds if Smith calls it a career) and look to free agency to shore up this area.
They also need to pick a corner in the early rounds and add a quality corner in free agency after Jeff Okudah didn’t work out and Fabian Moreau was a 31-year-old stopgap as a third CB. Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers are quality players (especially if Rodgers has more games like his tremendous, two-TD performance against the Bengals and less like his poor game vs. the Eagles). But more help is needed to improve the third corner and add young depth at such an important position.
Around the NFL Observations with my NFC and AFC title game picks:
1. It’s crazy how one play can cost a coach his job. That was the case for Bills coach Sean McDermott with the highly controversial overtime interception that appeared to be a catch by Brandon Cooks before Denver’s Ja’Quan McMillian wound up with the ball as the two players rolled on the ground.
I thought it was a catch by Cooks (and down by contact), which would’ve set up a short field goal for the win. If that had been the case, the Bills would be playing the Patriots this Sunday in the AFC title game, and McDermott would still have his job for at least one more week.
But that would still be the case if Josh Allen had protected the ball better and hit an open Dawson Knox with what would’ve been a game-winning play. Last year’s MVP wound up with four turnovers, yet the reality is the Bills would not have made it to the divisional round without Allen.
Would McDermott be of interest to O’Connell as the next DC if both Flores and Jones were gone to new jobs? He was a successful DC in Carolina before getting the Bills’ head job.
2. The Rams haven’t played great in getting road playoff wins at Carolina and Chicago. The Seahawks come off a dominant win over the 49ers and will have their raucous home crowd behind them on Sunday.
Matthew Stafford torched the usually stout Seattle defense for 457 yards and three TDs in the wild 38-37 Week 16 overtime win by the Seahawks. Sam Darnold made several big plays at the end of that game, and he’ll have to play well and avoid turnovers against the Rams’ D on Sunday. He didn’t have to do much last week as the running game and defense dominated the 49ers.
As much as I admire Darnold’s career renaissance the last two years, I see him throwing a couple of picks and Stafford outplaying him as the Rams win 30-27. I picked the Rams to win the Super Bowl back in mid-season, and I’m sticking with that pick.
Looking at Denver in the AFC title game, while I don’t like the arrogant Sean Payton, I do feel bad for QB Bo Nix, who is out after breaking his ankle last week. Jarrett Stidham has only four career starts (1-3 record) and hasn’t started a game in the last two seasons until this Sunday.
Denver has a fine defense, but it’s too much to ask Stidham to win in cold and possibly snowy New England against a solid Patriots defense. But Pats QB Drake Maye has to do a better job of protecting the ball than he did in throwing one interception and losing two fumbles in the divisional round win over Houston. I’m picking New England 27-17.
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