Brian Flores is signed! I do not know if he will eventually get a head coach offer but at least he wont go and be a defensive coordinator for another team. At the very least, the Vikings will get two 3rd round picks if he gets hired away as a head coach. I do not think there will be any dead money.
Now that that is out of the way. What do you want to talk about?
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
What does his future look like? According to Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn, the San Francisco 49ers, whom he covers, want to trade for Addison.
“According to a source, the 49ers intend to be quite aggressive this offseason in terms of trades. They want to trade up in the draft, and they want to trade for a wide receiver. And the wide receiver they’re initially targeting in a trade is Jordan Addison of the Minnesota Vikings,” said Cohn.
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The why behind a possible trade that Cohn mentions is as fascinating as it seems ridiculous.
“Addison is entering year four in the NFL, and the Vikings apparently don’t want to pick up his fifth-year option,” continued Cohn. “They like Jalen Nailor, who’s going to be a free agent wide receiver on their team. They’d like to keep him, and since they’re not going to pick up Jordan Addison’s fifth-year option, they would be open to trading him.”
That in itself is a bombshell. Not picking up the fifth-year option, even though it’s projected to be just over $17.5 million, would be a major surprise. That’s still a value for what Addison does. Having that kind of player opposite Justin Jefferson is huge to maximize the Vikings’ best player.
He also mentioned the Buffalo Bills as a team that is also interested, which would be history repeating itself. In March of 2020, the Vikings traded Stefon Diggs to the Bills for a hefty haul of a first-round pick and multiple picks on Day 3.
Cohn also mentions potential compensation, which is the biggest thing for Vikings fans.
“They probably could get him for like, maybe a second, maybe a third, maybe Ricky Pearsall, maybe, maybe Ricky Pearsall and a fourth?”
Minnesota Vikings: DI Jalen Redmond
Redmond emerged as one of the Vikings’ most reliable interior defenders in 2025. He earned a 73.5 PFF overall grade, ranking third among Minnesota defenders. He was especially dominant against the run, where his 30 run stops, 1.46-yard average depth of tackle, and 19.4% positively graded play rate all ranked second-best on the defense.
Nearly a third of the NFL has turned over its head coach position this offseason, which has raised the question about whether Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year, is safe in his seat.
Several Vikings reporters have taken the temperature of the Vikings coach’s seat and agree that next season could be vital in O’Connell keeping his job in Minnesota.
And that puts even more pressure on getting the quarterback position right.
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McCarthy’s third season as a pro will be vital in his development and offer a clear picture of whether Minnesota should invest in an extension for the young quarterback or pivot elsewhere.
But whether O’Connell has the runway to see a third season from McCarthy through is a major consideration for the head coach who saw his predecessor, Mike Zimmer, fired after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
McCarthy will likely be on a short leash if he is named the starter next season.
How Hot is Kevin O’Connell’s Seat?
Just a year removed from winning the NFL Coach of the Year award, O’Connell’s name being subject to firing seems absurd.
However, the award isn’t the greatest indicator of sustained success, but moreso an incredible single-year feat.
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JJ McCarthy Cannot Be the Sole Answer at QB for Vikings in 2026, Analyst Argues
When asked about whether O’Connell’s job is at risk next season, Coller argued that while the head coach has a proven track record of success and galvanizing an organization, a playoff berth is needed to keep many decision makers in their seats.
And that will require a major quarterback move to find the right insurance for McCarthy.
“I agree that every single aggressive possible route has to be investigated by the Vikings,” Coller said, outlining all the possible quarterbacks who could land in Minnesota from Mac Jones, Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson. “There has to be all those possible routes looked into, and you can’t just say we’re going to ride with JJ. It’s a five-year plan. Here we go. Like we’re going to try to develop him over a number of years, like we’re the Packers or something. Probably not. Like, you probably aren’t going to get that much leeway with this decision that was made.
“And, it does matter that Sam Darnold has turned out to be on the team that goes to the NFC Championship. That is a very, very bad look for the decision makers in the Vikings organization, which means you have to save yourself this year more likely than not,” Coller added. “You got to be back in the playoffs. You got to have a winning season. And that could mean something that we don’t even see coming at the quarterback position and could really end up surprising us.”
The Vikings’ handling of their quarterback position was frequently questioned throughout the season as J.J. McCarthy struggled. Now, with former Vikings QB Sam Darnold leading the Seahawks to the NFC championship game, that criticism has increased. With the position and what the team will do this offseason to remedy the situation still very much up in the air, a former Vikings star is joining the chorus of criticism
“I think it’s a big mistake that they made last year, kind of, just handing over the reins and not having a veteran to compete with him,” Kyle Rudolph said on Tuesday’s episode of Up And Adams with Kay Adams. “You know, there certainly were a few options, one of which is playing this weekend in the NFC championship game. Another one in Daniel Jones, that was in the locker room last year, who obviously, you know, I’m a huge fan of and absolutely love his game.”
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For their part, head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have been unwilling to commit to McCarthy as the starter going forward. Rudolph wants his former team to “bring in a veteran to compete with J.J.”
“This doesn’t mean that J.J. can’t be your quarterback of the future, but just handing him over a Super Bowl-caliber roster and saying, ‘OK, go for it,’” continued Rudolph. “and not having a veteran that is in that room and competing against him, I ultimately think that you’re not setting him up for success.”
Rudolph pointed to the Vikings’ border rivals, the Packers, who transitioned from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love over the last 30 years.
“We lived it in the NFC North for two straight decades because of the way the Packers transitioned their quarterbacks,” said Rudolph. “I think the Vikings organization realizes that they’re set up to win right now. And J.J. can still be the guy, and ultimately we can see another veteran quarterback, maybe a guy who’s trying to find a home, has played good football, but would be willing to come in on a one-year deal and compete. I think that’s ultimately how you’ll get the best out of J.J. and set the team up for success in 2026.”
or even Arizona’s Kyler Murray could make sense for the Vikings this offseason. Minnesota could also be forced to revisit the Aaron Rodgers speculation that engulfed the team last spring. When asked about who he thinks would fit, Rudolph appeared to agree with the speculation already out there.
“I think you got Mac Jones,” said Rudolph. “To me, if I’m looking at that list, Aaron (Rodgers), if he wants to come back and make a run with an incredibly talented roster in a division that he’s very familiar with, completely agree. … But yeah, bringing somebody in, doesn’t really matter who it is. There’s plenty of high-caliber veteran quarterbacks that could come in, and Kevin (O’Connell) always gets the most out of them. There’s no better quarterback whisperer than KOC, and I think he would be a great spot if you’re a veteran quarterback like a Tua (Tagovailoa), trying to revitalize your career, if he is on the market. Wouldn’t be a bad place to look.”
One name Rudolph doesn’t think is realistic: Kirk Cousins.
“I do think Kirk would be a guy that would make sense back in Minnesota, but I just don’t see him getting out of Atlanta,” Rudolph said. “He’s under contract there, they were willing to pay him $45 million to be the backup, and now you bring in a head coach and a play caller that he’s very familiar with. So I don’t see him getting out of Atlanta.”
On a recent episode of his podcast, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis speculated that the Vikings have a certain level they won’t go below when targeting a veteran quarterback.
“It’s hard for me to imagine that the Vikings would dip lower, with whoever they target via trade or free agency, than a Mac Jones-type level,” said Lewis.
Yore Mock
Yore MockTrade Partner: CowboysSent: 1.18Received: 1.20, 5.150, 5.177…
Pick 20. Peter Woods DL ClemsonPick 49. Dillon Thieneman S OregonPick 82. Keionte Scott CB Miami (FL)Pick 97. Harold Perkins LB LSUPick 150. Riley Nowakowski TE IndianaPick 161. Bryce Lance WR North Dakota StatePick 177. Febechi Nwaiwu IOL OklahomaPick 194. Trey Zuhn III OT Texas A&MPick 234. Charles Demmings CB Stephen F. AustinPick 240. Xavier Nwankpa S Iowa
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