Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings vast receiver Justin Jefferson (18) reacts after a play towards the Philadelphia Eagles in the course of the second half at U.S. Financial institution Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Brad Rempel-Imagn Photographs
Yearly, close to the top of Might, VikingsTerritory publishes a complete listing of Minnesota Vikings-themed storylines on the horizon for the summer time. That is the 2026 version,
Minnesota’s summer time guidelines is loaded with quarterback drama, roster battles, rookie intrigue, and contract questions.
From quarterback battles to normal supervisor searches, right here’s every thing you should know, with organized crew actions (OTAs) kicking off subsequent week.
Coaching Camp Will Settle A number of Lingering Vikings Mysteries
Each Vikings storyline heading into the summer time — all of them.
Minnesota Vikings particular groups coordinator Matt Daniels surveys the sector earlier than a preseason matchup towards the New England Patriots on Aug. 16, 2025, at U.S. Financial institution Stadium in Minneapolis. Daniels entered the 2025 marketing campaign tasked with stabilizing Minnesota’s particular groups operation whereas overseeing a unit that includes a number of new contributors and roster hopefuls. Obligatory Credit score: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Photographs
37. Who’s the Holder on Kicks with Ryan Wright Gone?
Wright held all area objectives and further factors for Will Reichard in 2024 and 2025. They’d it all the way down to a science. Wright left for the New Orleans Saints in March. So, who will maintain kicks? Veteran punter Johnny Hekker? Rookie Brett Thorson, who did no holding on the College of Georgia?
In the event you’ve come to take pleasure in Reichard’s deadliness as a kicker, this issues.
36. Is Myles Worth Used on Offense?
Final month, some social media footage teased Worth as a playmaker on offense — as in, he was engaged on his craft in the course of the offseason. Will that imply something?
35. Is Gavin Gerhardt a Late-Spherical Gem or Only a Seventh-Rounder?
The Vikings mentioned “no thanks” within the draft to a brand new heart like Logan Jones, Jake Slaughter, Sam Hecht, and Connor Lew — the draft’s “Big Four” on the place. They claimed that they scouted Gerhardt as “their guy” all alongside. Does that imply he may … begin at heart?
34. Will WR Dillon Bell Make the 53-Man Roster?
Yearly, Minnesota onboards a good-looking crop of UDFAs, and at the very least one man turns heads as a man who can probably break by way of to the common season roster. This time, at vast receiver, that’s Dillon Bell from Georgia.
33. Can Dwight McGlothern or Zemaiah Vaughn Make the Common Season Roster?
Talking of UDFAs, McGlothern and Vaughn function the identical pizazz and upside as Bell. Will both be part of the 2026 protection?
32. Is OT Walter Rouse on the Roster Bubble?
The Vikings added two new tackles this offseason: rookie Caleb Tiernan and veteran Ryan Van Demark. Which may’ve put Rouse on discover.
31. Will Theo Jackson Make the 53-Man Roster?
Minnesota quietly benched Jackson for Jay Ward final December. If Harrison Smith returns (unretires?), Jackson may face a roster math drawback.
30. Is It Value It to Re-Signal Fabian Moreau for Depth?
Moreau secretly balled out because the Vikings’ CB3 final season, and no one cared. He’s a free agent. Signal him for the veteran minimal.
29. Who’s the TE3? Gavin Bartholomew or Ben Yurosek?
Pittsburgh tight finish Gavin Bartholomew participates in drills in the course of the NFL Mix on Feb. 27, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Bartholomew entered the pre-draft course of as a developmental tight finish prospect recognized for physicality, blocking upside, and reliable arms after a productive collegiate profession at Pittsburgh. Obligatory Credit score: Tanner Pearson-Imagn Photographs
Ex-general supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted Bartholomew in Spherical 6 in April 2025. He didn’t play a single snap as a rookie because of harm. Now wholesome, is the TE3 job his to lose?
28. Who’s the Punter — Johnny Hekker or Brett Thorson?
Hekker was the most effective punter in soccer — 10 years in the past. Thorson was the most effective punter in faculty soccer — seven months in the past. Who wins and why?
27. Will the Vikings Preserve 4 RBs or Lower Zavier Scott?
These are the purple RBs:
Aaron Jones
Jordan Mason
Demond Claiborne
Zavier Scott
Kejon Owens
Is there room for Scott?
26. Does Jordan Addison Keep Out of Bother?
Addison has made unhealthy headlines 4 instances since turning into a Viking: rushing 140 MPH in 2023, drunk and asleep on a California freeway in 2024, skipping a crew walkthrough abroad in London final October, and arrested for trespassing at a Florida on line casino in 2026.
Are we completed but?
25. Is RB Demond Claiborne a Late-Spherical Gem or Only a Sixth-Rounder?
Followers desperately needed Minnesota to draft a working again early, they usually waited till Spherical 6 with Claiborne. He might be anyplace from Nyheim Hines to De’Von Achane, primarily based on his dimension and magnificence of play. What’s it gonna be? Hines or Achane? Someplace within the center, like Jerick McKinnon?
24. Will Tai Felton Rise — or Devolve right into a “Bad Kwesi Pick?”
Adofo-Mensah picked Felton in Spherical 3 final yr. He hardly performed on offense as a rookie, which is a bit bizarre for a Third-Rounder.
23. Do Rookies Get Taking part in Time or Keep Buried on the Depth Chart?
This stat wants restore.
Which NFL groups use the gamers they discover within the draft? Right here you go.
Most Video games Began by Group,Gamers Drafted by THAT Group,Since 2022:
— Packers: 563— Giants: 493— Texans: 457— Rams: 437— Buccaneers: 413— Jets: 412— Ravens: 406— Lions: 403— Seahawks: 402—…
— Dustin Baker (@DustBaker) January 29, 2026
22. Is Caleb Banks’s Damage a Gradual Burn?
Banks broke his foot on the NFL Mix. Does that imply he’ll be a non-factor for many of his rookie season, or is he good to go?
21. Will Jake Golday Development to Play Proper Away?
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis wrote about Golday this week, “Close your eyes, listen to these lines, and you might even imagine Van Ginkel. He sniffs out screens like he was in the opponent’s huddle, and he corrals ball carriers like the football was embedded with a tracking device. Coaches often shrug when trying to explain his exceptionalism. It’s as if there’s some intangible missing piece.”
Will followers see these traits in 2026 or 2027?
20. Will the Vikings Signal a Free Agent OLB3?
If the Vikings need a greater EDGE than Bo Richter or Tyler Batty, they’ve these free brokers to ponder:
A.J. Epenesa
Cameron Jordan
Dante Fowler Jr.
Denico Autry
Derek Barnett
Haason Reddick
Jadeveon Clowney
Joey Bosa
Kyle Van Noy
Leonard Floyd
Marcus Davenport
Von Miller
19. Will Domonique Orange or Levi Drake Rodriguez Get the Nod at Nostril Deal with?
Orange must be prepared for Week 1, however will the Vikings do the factor the place they ease him in simply because?
18. Is Jay Ward a Starter?
Ward took Jackson’s job late within the 2025 marketing campaign. Was that everlasting?
17. Is Blake Brandel the Middle for the Lengthy Haul?
Minnesota Vikings guard Blake Brandel (64) traces up throughout an NFC Wild Card matchup towards the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Brandel performed a larger-than-expected position for Minnesota all through the season, filling a number of offensive line positions as accidents reshaped the Vikings’ safety plans. Obligatory Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Photographs
Kevin O’Connell mentioned earlier within the offseason that Brandel was the favourite to start out at heart. Is he merely the brand new beginning heart and not a jack-of-all-trades lineman?
16. Can Will Fries Rebound?
Fries signed a $87 million deal over 5 years in 2025. He wasn’t value that price ticket in Yr No. 1 with the Vikings.
15. Are There Any Summer time Contract Holdouts?
Males like Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman are due for extensions. Will they feign earaches at coaching camp to get new offers like T.J. Hockenson a couple of summers in the past?
14. Will Brian O’Neill Get a Contract Extension?
O’Neill can also be due for a brand new deal, which the Vikings will oblige. When and the way a lot?
13. Will the Vikings Use T.J. Hockenson as a Move-Catcher?
Hockenson’s targets by season in Minnesota:
2022: 129 (MIN + DET)
2023: 127
2024: 62
2025: 66
Will he function the sixth offensive lineman once more or return to a pass-catching menace?
12. Who’s the New GM? Does He Have a Regular Position?
The Vikings will announce the GM resolution earlier than too lengthy. Is that new man in cost like a traditional normal supervisor, or will Minnesota have a flowery customized setup that places the Wilfs, O’Connell, Rob Brzezinski, and the brand new man equally answerable for the roster?
11. Who’s the Actual RB1? Aaron Jones or Jordan Mason?
This one is straightforward: Who takes the primary handoff of 2026?
10. Will the Vikings Truly Run the Soccer?
The offense wants steadiness:
Vikings Speeding Offense,Rush Playcall % | Rush EPA/Play,NFL Rating:
2025: nineteenth | 15th2024: 18th | 14th2023: thirtieth | 18th2022: thirtieth | 18th
9. Is Kevin O’Connell on the Scorching Seat?
Fansided‘s Nick Villano wrote about O’Connell’s scorching seat this week: “Kevin O’Connell’s future as a head coach hinges on his choice at the quarterback position. Right now, he has JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray fighting for the starting position.”
“The Packers had a chance to have Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, or Daniel Jones last year, all quarterbacks who excelled, and one who won the Super Bowl. They went with McCarthy, and it led them to missing the playoffs. If O’Connell makes the wrong decision this season and they waste another year of Justin Jefferson’s prime, it could cost KOC his job.”
8. Can Justin Jefferson Regain All-Professional Manufacturing?
Bear in mind when the primary aim in December of Vikings soccer was to get Jefferson throughout the 1,000-yard end line for the season? Not a great search for the quarterback scenario.
7. Is Christian Darrisaw’s ACL Able to Go?
Darrisaw tore his ACL in October 2024, and it stays a central subject amongst Vikings-themed talkers.
6. Is Dallas Turner Prepared for Vivid Lights as a Starter?
A path has been cleared for Turner to start out with Greenard on the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster. Will he be good or nice?
5. Will Harrison Smith Return?
Most gamers who retire … often inform the world, “I’m retiring.”
Smith hasn’t completed that.
4. Will J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz Battle at All for QB2?
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy drops again to throw towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers on Jan. 4, 2026, at U.S. Financial institution Stadium in Minneapolis. The primary-quarter snapshot captured McCarthy working comfortably inside Minnesota’s offense because the Vikings tried to determine rhythm early throughout a pivotal NFC North showdown towards Inexperienced Bay. Obligatory Credit score: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Photographs
Wentz performed extra effectively than McCarthy in 2025, and each are in line for backup quarterback jobs on the identical crew in 2026.
3. Will J.J. McCarthy Humbly Settle for a QB2 Job?
If Murray wins the QB1 job this summer time — he in all probability will — will McCarthy smile and proceed? Or squawk and request a commerce?
2. How Critical Is the QB Battle Between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy?
Final summer time, the Vikings insisted that nobody severely problem McCarthy for the QB1 job. This summer time, the Vikings insist that Murray should battle McCarthy for the QB1 job. Can McCarthy actually rating the upset? Or is {that a} spring narrative to maintain him joyful?
1. Does Kyler Murray Latch On because the Vikings’ Lengthy-Time period QB?
Murray averages 30 passing and speeding touchdowns each 17 begins. If he stays largely wholesome, there’s an opportunity he might be the Vikings’ QB1 for the following 5-8 seasons.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker
