Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts throughout follow at coaching camp on Aug. 3, 2024, in Eagan, Minnesota. O’Connell continued overseeing preparations for the upcoming season whereas guiding Minnesota by means of one other aggressive summer time full of roster battles, quarterback growth, and schematic set up on either side of the soccer throughout coaching camp practices. Obligatory Credit score: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports activities.
The Minnesota Vikings have accomplished free company and the draft, and the roster is mainly set, apart from typical summer time upkeep. However that doesn’t imply the membership is totally able to go; it nonetheless has a major to-do record.
With no additional ado, right here’s the itinerary, ranked from least to most necessary (No. 1 = most necessary).
The Vikings Nonetheless Have Work to Do Earlier than Coaching Camp
Minnesota Vikings offensive sort out Brian O’Neill celebrates with operating again Cam Akers after a landing throughout fourth-quarter motion on Dec. 16, 2024, at U.S. Financial institution Stadium in Minneapolis. O’Neill reacted as Minnesota gained late momentum towards the Chicago Bears in a pivotal NFC North matchup, with Akers contributing to the Vikings’ push towards a divisional victory. Obligatory Credit score: Brad Rempel-Imagn Photographs
7. Prolong Brian O’Neill’s Contract
O’Neill is scheduled to check free company in 2027; the deal he signed in 2021 is lastly winding down. Fortunately for his sake, this looks like a no brainer and extra a matter of when than if.
And O’Neill will proceed to be a wealthy man. The brand new contract will probably pay him one thing within the ballpark of $75 million over the next three extra seasons. Minnesota may decrease his cap hit in 2026 to have extra wage cap flexibility.
At all times keep in mind: O’Neill is arguably probably the most constant Vikings participant of the final a number of seasons, together with Justin Jefferson. He’s the true deal.
6. Put together Rookie DT Caleb Banks for Week 1
Banks injured his foot at Florida Gators coaching camp in the summertime of 2025, performed three video games, declared for the draft, and broke his foot on the NFL Mix in February. The harm — particularly for an enormous human — sunk his draft inventory to Spherical 2, or so the draft neighborhood would lead the plenty to consider.
The Vikings ignored the harm concern, choosing Banks in Spherical 1, which is the place his authentic draft forecast aligned.
The issue? Minnesota is contemporary off the steam of some poor drafts, particularly 2022 and 2023, apart from Jordan Addison. It wants youth within the pipeline. Subsequently, having Banks able to contribute — and never one other draft bust — is important.
It is going to be a horrendous look if he’s not common for the common season. Fortunately, he’s trending to be prepared for coaching camp in late July.
5. Get a Verdict on Harrison Smith
The Vikings, as a corporation and fan base, handled Week 18 of 2025 as Smith’s remaining recreation, after which that was the ultimate correspondence the world acquired from the 37-year-old. Smith has not expressly retired, nor has he re-upped with the Vikings.
If he returns for Yr No. 15, he’s most likely assured to get at the very least 400 snaps, most likely extra, in Brian Flores’s protection. It’s simply that June is three days away, and no person is aware of if Smith will return or retire.
4. Domesticate or Signal an OLB3
Minnesota has 4 inner choices on the OLB3 spot behind Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner: promote Bo Richter, promote Tyler Batty, mould rookie Jake Golday right into a hybrid OLB-ILB, or groom a defensive sort out, like Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, to play on the EDGE.
Brigham Younger Cougars defensive finish Tyler Batty strains up towards Arizona State on Nov. 23, 2024, at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe. Batty helped anchor BYU’s defensive entrance throughout a key Large 12 matchup, utilizing his dimension and edge strain to problem the Solar Devils all through a tightly contested convention showdown late within the common season. Obligatory Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Photographs
If none of these sound promising to Flores, he should discover the free-agent wire for a participant like Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, or Leonard Floyd.
For the primary time since 2020, Vikings followers surprise if the EDGE depth is sufficient for the common season.
3. Guarantee LT Christian Darrisaw Is Prepared
Darrisaw tore his ACL in October 2024. He’s again at OTAs and reportedly appears to be like advantageous, which is improbable, however that’s what everybody stated at 2025 OTAs, too.
Minnesota put Darrisaw on a weird pitch rely plan in 2025, even eradicating him from a detailed recreation within the 4th Quarter as a result of he performed an excessive amount of. That doesn’t sound like a perfect ACL restoration.
Darrisaw is without doubt one of the highest-paid Vikings. The crew should guarantee he’s totally healed and prepared for 2026 with none hiccups.
2. Rent a Normal Supervisor
After Sam Darnold helped the Seattle Seahawks win the NFC Championship, the Vikings’ house owners fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the earlier basic supervisor, 5 days later. Darnold grew to become a Tremendous Bowl champion quickly after, and the Vikings seemed like chumps.
The house owners, the Wilfs, elevated Rob Brzezinski to an interim basic supervisor position, and he steered the ship in free company and the draft. Now, the franchise is smack dab in the course of a basic supervisor search that ought to conclude someday subsequent week.
It would at all times be unusual that Minnesota didn’t interview basic supervisor candidates the day after Adofo-Mensah left — that was January thirty first, and free company didn’t begin till March ninth — however it’s “better late than never” on discovering a brand new boss.
The Vikings would possibly even maintain Brzezinski in a strong position, with the brand new basic supervisor overseeing scouting or an analogous position.
1. Resolve a QB1 for Week 1
Minnesota signed Kyler Murray in March to a one-year, $1.3 million contract, a tiny sum as a result of the Arizona Cardinals are paying him to play for the Vikings. J.J. McCarthy quarterbacked the Vikings final 12 months, however accidents and up-and-down efficiency rocked his world as a first-time starter.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy warms up earlier than going through Inexperienced Bay on Jan. 4, 2026, at U.S. Financial institution Stadium in Minneapolis, whereas Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray competes towards Seattle on Sep. 25, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The picture pairing highlights two NFC quarterbacks linked to offseason dialogue and hypothesis coming into the 2026 marketing campaign. Obligatory Credit score: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Photographs and Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Photographs
The crew’s entrance workplace and training workers insist that Murray vs. McCarthy is an trustworthy, working man’s quarterback battle. Sportsbooks declare Murray has a 90% probability of successful.
Might the most effective man win.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker
