The Minnesota Vikings have an incredible defense. They have a strong cast of supporting characters on offense. They just don't have the quarterback to tie everything together.
Fewer than 24 hours before the 2026 NFL trade deadline, the Vikings lost their grip on first place in the NFC North with a "Monday Night Football" loss defined by Minnesota's inconsistent quarterback play. After the game, head coach Kevin O'Connell blamed himself for being unable to get quarterback Carson Wentz into a rhythm against the Buffalo Bills.
He also declined to provide any insight into his team's attempts to address its quarterback situation at the trade deadline.
"I'll defer to (general manager) Nolan (Teasley) on that," O'Connell said when asked whether the Vikings
were pursuing a quarterback ahead of the deadline. "We've had dialogue about a lot of different positions. Tight turnaround obviously, playing the Monday night game before that. We'll get right to work on any potential moves that can be there. Really just focused on the game tonight, which was not good enough in any way, shape or form."
While filling in for the injured Kyler Murray, Wentz mustered a passer rating of just 8.9 in Week 9, going 8-of-25 with two interceptions and a lost fumble against the Bills. Obligatory reminder that a quarterback would have a passer rating of 39.6 if he spiked the ball on every play.
Minnesota turned to second-year Max Brosmer in garbage time. The former undrafted free agent finished 6-of-7 for 58 yards and a passer rating of 101.2, though the Bills' defense was not playing as tightly as it had been for most of the night.
With Murray sidelined with his hamstring injury, Wentz and Brosmer are the only two quarterbacks on the Vikings' active roster.
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET. As of midnight ET on Nov. 10, the Vikings have yet to bring in a player via trade. Somewhat ironically, Minnesota's lone midseason trade so far this year was one that moved a quarterback off of its roster – when it sent quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants in late September.
Minnesota's next game is against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. ET. The Vikings beat the Packers 39-22 in Week 1, but Green Bay may be getting star edge rusher Micah Parsons back in Week 10. The three-time All-Pro has been working his way back from the ACL tear he sustained in 2025.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vikings head coach addresses quarterback conundrum after Week 9 loss
