The Minnesota Vikings’ 2026 regular season begins in 48 days, taking on the Green Bay Packers at home to get the party started. Fans are dreaming big about the campaign, mainly because Kyler Murray is a Viking, and the defense already has an established track record. But what if it all goes bad – – or too mediocre?
Well, thanks to some previous planning, Minnesota already has numerous escape hatches, so much so that it would not start from scratch next offseason.
Four Ways Vikings Can Pivot After 2026 — if Necessary
A Fresh GM Can Make the Hard Decisions
Were Vikings enthusiasts surprised that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would be fired after bad draft habits and the decision to let Sam Darnold leave in 2025 free agency? Not really. Were they surprised by the timing? You bet.
The Vikings’ owners fired Adofo-Mensah on January 30th, well after “normal” general manager terminations. That forced the team to wait until after free agency and the draft to pick his successor, handing the baton to interim general manager Rob Brzezinski in the meantime. Later, the Mark and Zygi Wilf (the owners) hired Nolan Teasley from the Seattle Seahawks. He’s the new boss.
Teasley was not involved in 2026 roster construction. He may not be overly loyal to the existing players or coaches. If the season breaks badly, he can use his fresh set of eyes to make changes. Often, when a team chooses a new course, they start from scratch, firing the general manager and head coach. Hypothetically, the Vikings won’t have to fire the general manager. They’ve already got a new one.
Kevin O’Connell Has Had a Real Opportunity
Head coach Kevin O’Connell enters his fifth season as Minnesota’s head coach, boasting the NFL’s fifth-best win percentage in the timeframe and two trips to the postseason. But he doesn’t own a playoff win. Most coaches don’t get to Year No. 5 without a playoff dub on their resume. O’Connell is the exception.
For now, O’Connell’s job feels secure, as the fresh momentum of the Murray signing may provide another appearance in the playoffs. Yet, if the Murray experiment flops and J.J. McCarthy shows no serious growth, you better believe fans and the media will wonder out loud about O’Connell’s job. Hot seat chatter would be unavoidable.
In that scenario, Teasley could sack O’Connell and roll with a head coach of his choosing. O’Connell basically has a short timeline to win a playoff game before the pressure shoots to the moon.
It would not be weird for a new general manager to fire the head coach after a poor or mediocre season.
O’Connell’s multiyear extension in 2025 means this is not a literal contractual escape hatch. The flexibility comes from having a new general manager capable of independently evaluating whether the coaching partnership should continue.
The 2027 Quarterback Class Could Offer a Reset
Pretend Murray and McCarthy fail to launch in 2026. That’s unlikely, but the possibility cannot be totally ruled out. It would probably translate to a Top 15 draft pick for the Vikings, and yes, a Round 1 quarterback would be back on the table.
From a summer 2026 standpoint, the early-round quarterback big board could look like this:
- Arch Manning (Texas)
- Dante Moore (Oregon)
- CJ Carr (Notre Dame)
- Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State)
- Darian Mensah (Miami FL)
- Julian Sayin (Ohio State)
- LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)
- Drake Lindsey (Minnesota)
The 2027 NFL Draft is not like the 2026 version where promising young quarterbacks felt few and far between. For any team needing a franchise quarterback, April 2027 will be a wonderful time.
The Roster Can Turn Over Quickly through Free Agency
The Vikings spent frugally in March to ease the salary cap pain in future years. Coincidentally, the franchise also has a bevy of players set to test the open market in 2027. There’s optionality – – re-sign most of the impending free agents, or let them walk and start fresh.
The list is huge:
- Blake Brandel (C)
- Blake Cashman (ILB)
- Andrew DePaola (LS)
- T.J. Hockenson (TE)
- Aaron Jones (RB)
- Jordan Mason (RB)
- Kyler Murray (QB)
- Brian O’Neill (RT)
- Ivan Pace Jr. (LB)
- Jalen Redmond (DT)
- Bo Richter (OLB)
- Isaiah Rodgers (CB)
- Ryan Van Demark (OT)
- Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB)
- Jay Ward (S)
- Carson Wentz (QB)
Free agency in 2027 will mainly be about retaining the core or embarking on a new beginning with Teasley calling the shots. The defining feature of Minnesota’s 2027 offseason will be choice.
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VikesNow Verdict: The Vikings are not preparing to fail, but they have avoided tying every major decision to 2026. A new general manager, a potentially strong quarterback class and numerous expiring contracts give the franchise several ways to pivot. The Vikings could reload, retool, or begin a broader reset – – pretty easily.
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