We are getting close! The rookies report in a little over two weeks. We are almost back baby!
As usual, there is not much to discuss but you know what and it shows up in the links. It simply is what comes up when I google “Vikings News”. Don’t shoot the messenger because he will shoot back!
I was thinking about our new GM and wondered if he would have done things differently if he was here before free agency and could have had some input into the decisions made. I wonder if he has inherited a couple
of problems he might not have wanted to have if he had been here. I asked yore friend for some help. It’s up to you how you take it.
Your AI question …
When I look at what the Vikings did this offseason without having their new GM, I wonder how many of those moves he may not have made?
Operating without a permanent general manager for nearly five months is highly unusual in the NFL, and it is almost certain that new GM Nolan Teasley would have altered some of the critical resource allocations made during the interim period.
After firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January 2026, the Minnesota Vikings handed the car keys to long-time cap manager Rob Brzezinski. Acting as interim GM through the free agency period and the 2026 NFL Draft, Brzezinski executed an ultra-frugal, coach-centric strategy.
By the time Teasley was hired away from the Seattle Seahawks in June 2026, the roster framework was set. There are three major areas where Teasley’s scouting-first background likely would have led to entirely different decisions:
1. The Jonathan Greenard Trade
- The Move: The interim front office traded star edge rusher Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for draft capital.
- Why Teasley might have balked: Trading away a proven, premier pass-rusher in his prime right as you enter a critical season for head coach Kevin O’Connell is highly risky. Teasley immediately inherited an outside linebacker room with major depth concerns. A young personnel executive from Seattle would likely prefer to retain proven, premium talent at high-value positions rather than trading them for future draft dart-throws.
2. Heavy Veteran Spending on Older Players
- The Moves: The Vikings signed 31-year-old linebacker Eric Wilson to a hefty three-year, $22.5 million deal and added 36-year-old punter Johnny Hekker.
- Why Teasley might have balked: Brzezinski operated primarily to please head coach Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Hekker was signed because he punted for O’Connell in LA, and Wilson was extended because of his familiarity with Flores’ scheme. New GMs coming from progressive front offices like Seattle typically avoid giving multi-year, premium-money contracts to linebackers entering their age-32 season, prioritizing younger, cheaper depth with higher physical upside.
3. Passing on Free Agent Value to Rely on the Draft
- The Move: The Vikings finished the free agency period spending the absolute least amount of money in the NFL ($53.73 million).
- Why Teasley might have balked: While protecting the long-term cap is great, the interim staff left significant roster holes—particularly on the defensive line and at corner—by waiting out the market. A permanent GM usually wants to aggressively put their stamp on the roster using their own evaluation of the free-agent class, rather than passive bargain-hunting. Teasley was immediately forced into a position where he is left using the remaining $13 million in cap space to fix depth chart red flags left behind by the temporary regime.
A follow up AI question …
You mention the Greenard trade but did not dive into the fact that he wanted a raise and how that might have played out if they either gave him one or did not give him one. What do you think the new GM would have done?
Jonathan Greenard’s contract leverage—driven by his demand for a raise that resulted in a massive four-year, $98 million extension from the Philadelphia Eagles—created a high-stakes standoff. Given new GM Nolan Teasley’s specific front-office background with the Seattle Seahawks, he almost certainly would have handled the situation differently than interim GM Rob Brzezinski did.
If Teasley had been in the building during the 2026 NFL Draft when Greenard drew his line in the sand, the scenario likely would have played out in one of two ways:
Scenario A: Teasley Pays Greenard (The Likely Choice)
Coming from Seattle under John Schneider, Teasley was trained to prioritize building a roster through elite home-grown core talent and rewarding elite premier positions (Edge, QB, Left Tackle).
- The Blueprint: Seattle rarely let premier pass rushers in their prime walk if they could help it. With Greenard being a top-15 edge rusher, Teasley likely would have viewed the $24.5 million annual average salary as the going market rate for elite defensive anchors.
- The Execution: Instead of completely gutting the defense’s depth to clear cap space for future variables, Teasley likely would have extended Greenard. By locking him down opposite Andrew Van Ginkel and utilizing young Dallas Turner as an elite, fresh rotational weapon, Minnesota would have possessed arguably the most terrifying edge-rushing trio in the league.
Scenario B: Teasley Rejects the Raise but Commands Better Trade Value
If Teasley did decide that $98 million was too rich for a player who missed the end of 2025 with a shoulder injury, he still would have managed the exit entirely differently than the interim front office.
- The Interim Blunder: Operating with temporary authority, Brzezinski accepted a poor compensation package on Day 2 of the draft: sending Greenard and a 7th-round pick to Philly for just two 3rd-round picks (one of which is delayed to 2027).
- The Teasley Alternative: As a trained talent evaluator, Teasley would have recognized that trading a premium 29-year-old game-changer with two years left on his contract for mid-round flyers severely devalues the asset. If he chose not to pay Greenard, Teasley would have held his ground for a package starting with a baseline 1st or high 2nd-round pick from an edge-needy contender, rather than panic-selling for third-round depth during the draft.
⚖️ The Verdict
Ultimately, Brzezinski acted like a traditional cap manager, focusing entirely on the financial spreadsheet to clear $34 million in cap space for future extensions like Brian O’Neill or Jordan Addison. Teasley, as a pure football evaluator, would have prioritized the product on the field. He either would have paid the market premium to keep a dominant defense intact or extracted a vastly superior draft haul to ensure the Vikings’ future remained bright.
A follow up AI question …
If Teasley had given Grenard a raise then his 2027 cap hit would have been over 20M most likely. That would reduce the current 2027 available cap space. Do you think the new GM would have wanted to restructure Jefferson that created 49M and 53M cap hits in 2027 and 2028 respectively? What about the restructure of Darrisaw and Murphy?
Nolan Teasley’s general manager philosophy would have clashed heavily with the exact restructures the interim staff executed.
Interim GM Rob Brzezinski handled the salary cap like an accountant solving a one-year math problem. When the team entered March 2026 roughly $43 million over the cap, Brzezinski implemented standard, aggressive max-restructures. He flipped a switch to convert base salaries into immediate signing bonuses, punting the financial pain into the future to save $27 million for the 2026 season.
If Teasley had been running the front office at that time, he likely would have fought against several of those specific financial maneuvers.
💰 The Justin Jefferson Megahit ($49M & $53M)
Brzezinski cleared up to $18 million in 2026 cap room by pushing Jefferson’s money forward. This resulted in gargantuan cap numbers of roughly $49 million in 2027 and a massive $53.4 million in 2028.
- The Teasley View: Having just left a Seattle Seahawks front office that painstakingly managed the massive contract of quarterback Geno Smith and expensive wideout extensions, Teasley understands that a single non-quarterback occupying over 15% of a team’s total salary cap suffocates roster construction. [1]
- The Decision: Had Teasley paid Jonathan Greenard a $20M+ cap hit for 2027, he absolutely could not have tolerated Jefferson’s cap hit swelling past $49 million. Teasley likely would have left Jefferson’s 2026 cap number closer to its original $39 million mark—absorbing the pain immediately while the team was transitioning at quarterback—rather than ballooning future cap hits to unmanageable levels.
🧱 The Christian Darrisaw Restructure
The interim staff cleared roughly $9.2 million by restructuring Darrisaw’s contract.
- The Teasley View: Unlike the Jefferson situation, this is a move Teasley likely would have supported. Left tackles are premium franchise cornerstones. Darrisaw’s 2027 cap hit remains highly manageable relative to the market (around 8.6% of the projected league cap).
- The Decision: Even with a high Greenard cap hit on the books, a traditional scouting-first GM views building from the trenches out as non-negotiable. Saving $9 million on your elite blindside protector to keep the defense whole is an acceptable trade-off.
📉 The Byron Murphy Jr. Void-Year Strategy
Brzezinski cleared $11.2 million by adding three automatic “void years” to cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.’s contract. This artificially lowered his current cap number but pushed his 2027 cap hit up to a staggering $24.4 million for a corner entering his age-29 season.
- The Teasley View: Traditional personnel executives loathe kicking the can down the road via void years for aging, non-premium defensive backs. It creates “dead money” for seasons when the player might not even be on the roster.
- The Decision: Teasley almost certainly would have vetoed the Murphy restructure. Instead of manipulating an older cornerback’s deal, Teasley would have preferred to clear that same $11 million by leaning into his specialty: trading away alternative veteran pieces or letting aging contributors walk entirely to protect the 2027 financial book.
⚖️ The Takeaway
Rob Brzezinski prioritized immediate 2026 survival at the direct cost of future flexibility. Had Teasley been in charge, he would have operated with a multi-year window. By choosing not to balloon Jefferson’s future numbers and refusing to use void years on Murphy, Teasley could have easily absorbed Greenard’s $20M+ contract in 2027 while maintaining a much healthier, balanced salary cap.
A follow up AI question …
How do you think Teasley would have handled the extensions and the handful of free agent signings?
Nolan Teasley’s approach to extensions and free agent signings would have mirrored the aggressive, depth-heavy roster building he excelled at with the Seattle Seahawks.
While interim GM Rob Brzezinski acted as a cautious caretaker—giving coaches Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores exactly what they wanted in terms of scheme fits—Teasley’s pure scouting background would have produced completely different evaluations on the 2026 free agent market.
His projected strategy would have altered several key free agency and extension decisions:
1. Free Agent Signings: Aggressive D-Line Depth Over Specialists
Brzezinski focused free agency on safe, familiar veterans. He added cornerback James Pierre, safety Tavierre Thomas, and signed 36-year-old punter Johnny Hekker to replace Ryan Wright.
- The Teasley Change: Coming from a Seattle organization that prioritized rotational trench depth, Teasley would have spent those resources differently. He likely would have avoided giving a three-year, $22.5 million deal to 31-year-old Eric Wilson—viewing him as an expensive scheme-fit backup. Instead, Teasley would have targeted younger, high-upside edge rushers or defensive linemen, fields he immediately tried to fix post-minicamp by signing former Seahawks depth pieces like Michael Brisco and Trayvon Rudolph.
2. The Kyler Murray Acquisition: A True Open Competition
The interim staff signed Kyler Murray in March to insulate the quarterback room following the roster turnover.
- The Teasley Change: Teasley spent years watching John Schneider navigate quarterback transitions (transitioning seamlessly from Russell Wilson to Geno Smith). He likely would have signed Murray, but he would not have designed the contract or roster to hand Murray the starting job by default. Teasley relies heavily on competition-led analytics. He would have structured the offense to spark a true, unmitigated training camp battle between Murray and second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
3. The Brian O’Neill Extension: Paid and Prioritized Early
With right tackle Brian O’Neill holding immense leverage entering the final stages of his contract, the interim staff hesitated, leaving it on the backburner while navigating the cap.
- The Teasley Change: This likely would have been Teasley’s very first major priority in March rather than July. In Seattle, building around bookend tackles was non-negotiable. Teasley would have extended O’Neill immediately to lock down the offensive line for whoever won the quarterback battle, preventing a vital locker room leader from reaching the open market.
4. Bargain-Bin Shopping at Wide Receiver
Rather than making a splash on a big-name weapon, the interim regime waited out the market and signed Jauan Jennings to a modest deal to be the WR3 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
- The Teasley Change: Teasley would have fully agreed with this approach. Seattle frequently unearned massive production from mid-tier wide receiver signings and late-round draft picks. Given the massive money already tied up in Jefferson, Teasley would have chosen the same path: hunting for value role players like Jennings rather than overpaying an aging superstar.
⚖️ The Takeaway
Brzezinski treated free agency like a checklist to satisfy his coaching staff’s immediate needs. Teasley would have treated it like a talent-acquisition engine. He would have skipped the aging special-teamers and punters to spend that capital on high-upside defensive linemen and an early extension for Brian O’Neill.
A follow up AI question …
Do you think Teasley would have brought back Aaron Jones and negotiated a slight pay cut for Hockenson?
Nolan Teasley’s personnel philosophy points to two completely different outcomes: he almost certainly would have let Aaron Jones walk, but he would have strongly pursued a T.J. Hockenson contract adjustment.
Coming from the Seattle Seahawks’ front office, Teasley relies heavily on age-to-value analytics when constructing a roster. Applying that specific lens to these two veteran offensive pillars reveals how a permanent GM would have shifted from the interim regime’s approach:
🏃♂️ Aaron Jones: The Analytics Say Let Him Walk
The interim front office leaned heavily on veteran familiarity, prioritizing Aaron Jones as a reliable safety net for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Teasley, however, likely would have let him walk in free agency.
- The Age Cliff: Jones is playing the 2026 season at 31 years old. In modern NFL analytics, re-signing a 31-year-old running back to anything beyond a league-minimum contract is considered a high-risk move due to the steep historical drop-off in production.
- The Seattle Blueprint: During Teasley’s time in Seattle, the Seahawks consistently preferred drafting explosive, cheap, young running backs (such as Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet) over paying aging veterans.
- The Decision: Teasley would have allocated Jones’s snaps and salary cap space to a younger, fresher committee. He likely would have leaned into a cheaper free-agent addition paired with a mid-round draft pick to modernize the backfield speed profile.
🏈 T.J. Hockenson: The Pay Cut/Restructure Negotiation
Negotiating a straight “pay cut” for an elite 29-year-old tight end is incredibly difficult in the NFL, but Teasley absolutely would have approached Hockenson to adjust his massive $15.1 million 2026 cap hit.
- The Leverage: Hockenson is coming off a grueling knee rehabilitation that sidelined him for a significant portion of last year. Because his contract carries a $15.2 million base salary for 2026, a savvy GM like Teasley would have used this timing to find a win-win financial solution.
- The Extension/Restructure Strategy: Rather than demanding a raw pay cut—which Hockenson’s agent would have rejected—Teasley likely would have offered a contract extension that added dummy “void years” or converted his base salary into a signing bonus.
- The Outcome: This maneuver would give Hockenson more guaranteed security over the next two seasons while instantly dropping his 2026 cap hit by $6 million to $8 million. This would give Teasley the exact in-season financial flexibility he prefers to hunt for defensive line depth.
A follow up AI question …
Interesting. Do you think your viewpoint is solid? Teasley has never held a GM position and you are tying his philosophy entirely to mirror Seattle. Do you think he might have some different ideas? Also, the Vikings owner seemed to desire a GM that would work closely with the two very good coaches (O’Connell and Flores) along with Brezinski to have aplan that all could agree upon.
You raise an exceptionally fair, sharp critique. Tying a first-time general manager entirely to the philosophy of his former employer is an oversimplification.
It also leaves out the most critical dynamic of his hiring: the Wilfs intentionally designed this front office to be a collaborative triumvirate.
When Nolan Teasley was introduced, ownership explicitly emphasized a “disciplined, process-driven approach” built on the complementary skill sets of Teasley, head coach Kevin O’Connell, and executive VP of football operations Rob Brzezinski. Teasley was specifically chosen because he is a highly collaborative executive who does not care about “being the star”.
Viewing this through the lens of a collaborative manager rather than a rigid “Seattle clone” changes the math entirely on how those moves would have played out:
1. Why He Would Have Agreed with the Aaron Jones & Veteran Decisions
If Teasley’s mandate is to work with O’Connell and Flores rather than override them, the signings of Aaron Jones, Eric Wilson, and James Pierre look very different.
- The Consensus: Instead of fighting the coaches based on age analytics, a collaborative Teasley would listen to Flores outline exactly how Eric Wilson’s 15.3% pressure rate unlocked his blitz packages. He would listen to O’Connell explain how Aaron Jones steadying the backfield protects a transitioning quarterback room. [1]
- The Adjustment: Teasley’s role would not be to veto these players, but to use his pro personnel background to ensure the team wasn’t over-reliant on them. He likely would have blessed the veteran signings while simultaneously pushing to draft their immediate mid-round successors to protect the roster’s depth. [1]
2. The Greenard Standoff: A Shared Financial Decision
The idea that Teasley would have automatically paid Greenard ignores the fact that Rob Brzezinski was in the room.
- The Consensus: If Greenard demanded a $98 million extension, Brzezinski would have laid out the 2027 and 2028 cap health to Teasley and O’Connell. If the front office collectively agreed that a $24.5 million annual salary would cripple their ability to extend Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw, the decision to trade Greenard would have been a unified organizational choice, not an interim panic-sell.
- The Adjustment: Where Teasley’s individual voice likely would have changed things is the trade execution. As a highly regarded talent evaluator who managed year-round trade analysis in Seattle, Teasley likely would have used his league-wide connections to drive a harder bargain for Greenard’s market value than a delayed 2027 third-round pick.
3. The Megahit Restructures (Jefferson & Murphy)
Your point about the ownership directive is most evident here. Brzezinski did not execute those massive restructures in a vacuum; he did them to give the team the best chance to win in 2026 under O’Connell. [1, 2]
- The Consensus: A collaborative first-time GM stepping into a building where the head coach is entering a pivotal year is not going to start his tenure by torpedoing the current season’s salary cap flexibility. [1]
- The Adjustment: Teasley likely would have accepted pushing Jefferson’s cap hits into the $50M range because keeping O’Connell aligned and happy is paramount to organizational stability. However, he and Brzezinski probably would have huddled to find a cleaner way to restructure Byron Murphy Jr. without relying heavily on messy void years that complicate the 2027 book.
⚖️ The Verdict
You are entirely right to check the assumption that Teasley would just copy John Schneider’s playbook. Teasley was hired to be a consensus-builder, not a dictator.
Rather than reversing the interim moves, a collaborative Teasley likely would have executed the exact same plan—keeping the veterans, trading Greenard, and restructuring the stars—but with sharper execution on the trade returns and a heavier emphasis on drafting young depth to supplement the coaches’ favorite scheme fits.
A final AI question …
Having said all of this, what do you think Teasley is considering when it come to extensions for O’Neill and possibly Van Ginkel and Redmond?
Under the collaborative, triumvirate structure established by the Wilf family, Nolan Teasley is looking at contract extensions not as an isolated talent evaluator, but through a unified lens alongside Kevin O’Connell’s tactical system and Rob Brzezinski’s multi-year cap spreadsheet.
The summer contract priorities illustrate exactly how this partnership shapes their approach to Brian O’Neill, Andrew Van Ginkel, and breakout young defensive lineman Jalen Redmond:
1. Brian O’Neill: The Universal Priority
There is near-universal agreement inside the Vikings’ facility that extending the two-time Pro Bowl right tackle is the front office’s number-one summer priority.
- The Consensus: O’Connell views O’Neill as an indispensable locker room leader, and historical metrics suggest that elite tackles maintain high efficiency well into their mid-30s. Brzezinski knows that extending O’Neill right now can restructure his current $19.5 million 2026 cap hit to free up in-season flexibility. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- The Teasley Twist: While the team is highly motivated to get a deal done, Teasley’s personnel eye will introduce patience regarding the contract’s duration. Because the interim staff signed Ryan Van Demark in restricted free agency and drafted Caleb Tiernan in the third round, Teasley has an insurance plan. Expect Teasley and Brzezinski to push for a front-loaded, three-year extension that secures O’Neill’s prime while maintaining an exit ramp if the younger tackles develop ahead of schedule.
2. Andrew Van Ginkel: A Bridge to Next Spring
Following the draft-day trade of Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota’s edge-rushing depth behind Dallas Turner and Van Ginkel is dangerously thin.
- The Consensus: Brian Flores relies heavily on Van Ginkel’s high football IQ and versatility in his pressure packages. However, Van Ginkel is scheduled to hit free agency next spring.
- The Teasley Twist: In Seattle, Teasley watched John Schneider refuse to extend veteran pass-rushers a year early if they carried recent injury variables. Because Van Ginkel’s 2025 season was cut to 12 games, Teasley’s process-driven approach will likely lean toward a “wait-and-see” strategy. Rather than committing multi-year guarantees right now, Teasley will likely prefer to let the 2026 season play out, trusting that if Van Ginkel produces another high-sack year, they can use their projected 2027 cap space to extend him then.
3. Jalen Redmond: The Pro-Personnel Priority
Redmond is coming off an eye-opening 2025 campaign where he racked up 6 sacks as an interior rusher. He represents the exact type of player a scouting-first GM loves to identify early.
- The Consensus: Flores desperately needs disruptive interior defensive linemen. Brzezinski loves rewarding homegrown, undrafted talent with early, cost-controlled deals before their market value explodes on the open market.
- The Teasley Twist: This is where Teasley’s pro personnel background shines. In Seattle, the front office regularly locked up young, ascending rotational linemen to cheap, three-year extensions right before their breakout seasons. Teasley will likely look to sign Redmond to an early extension this summer—guaranteeing him a life-changing pay raise today while securing a high-upside interior rusher for the Vikings at a massive discount relative to the rising defensive tackle market.
I am not quite sure what to make of these responses or if it would help us to try and guess what Teasley may do going forward. It is exciting to see a new Capt Stubing in charge of the Love Boat!
Rookie Arrival: First-year players report to the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota, on July 26.
Veteran Arrival: Returning players and full-squad activities begin two days later on July 28.
2026 Vikings Training Camp Full Schedule
https://www.vikings.com/schedule/vikings-events/training-camp/schedule
DATE : TIME : PRACTICE
Saturday, Aug. 1 : Noon- 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 7 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 8 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 9 : 5 – 11 p.m. : 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 11 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 12 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 13 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 17 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 19 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m. : Joint Practice with Baltimore Ravens
Thursday, Aug. 20 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m. : Joint Practice with Baltimore Ravens
The Minnesota Vikings 2026 preseason schedule features three matchups
Week 1: Saturday, August 15 at New York Giants (1:00 PM ET)
Week 2: Saturday, August 22 vs. Baltimore Ravens (12:00 PM ET)
Week 3: Friday, August 28 at Denver Broncos (Time TBD)
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
Vikings reporter thinks Kyler Murray could make shocking decision after J.J. McCarthy competition
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/vikings_reporter_thinks_kyler_murray_could_make_shocking_decision_after_jj_mccarthy_competition/s1_13132_44040902
“The quarterback room is less about who starts and more about what happens after that decision gets made,” Forness said about the Vikings. “Carson Wentz projects for me as the QB2 regardless of whether Murray or McCarthy wins the starting role. The loser of that competition likely ends up off the roster entirely. If Murray doesn’t win the job, he likely requests a trade because he’s playing for what is probably his final big contract. For McCarthy, losing the competition would essentially eliminate his chance of being the long-term answer in Minnesota.”
Adam Thielen Gets Blunt on J.J. McCarthy Amid Vikings QB Battle
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/adam-thielen-blunt-jj-mccarthy-battle/
“From an outsider’s perspective, it’s really exciting, and I say that for a few reasons,” Thielen said in a July 6 video from SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I think, number one, it’s a win-win for Minnesota. They’re not paying him anything, first of all. So if it doesn’t work out, so be it. They’re back to square one anyway.
“I think, number two, it’s a win-win because it gives J.J. McCarthy perspective. It gives him competition. It gives him another veteran, a quality starter in this league who has proved it, to compete with.
“The keys aren’t just going to be handed to him, which I think is a great thing for anyone. I can look back at my career, and every time there was competition, whether they drafted a first-rounder or brought someone in, it amped up my game. So I’m really excited about what that’s going to do for J.J.”
“I love J.J.,” Thielen added. “He’s a phenomenal dude; he’s a hard worker [and] he’s got that dog in him. He’s a competitor; he’s got all the intangibles to be really successful in this league. I’m really excited about what this does for his game.”
…
Thielen also noted what he likes from Murray in this QB competition, as he believes the former No. 1 overall pick can be a difference-maker on offense to go along with Justin Jefferson.
“I’ve always watched [Murray] from afar,” Thielen said. “He’s an exciting player. I think if he can be the leader that he knows he has to be, and that the team needs at that position, the sky’s the limit for him.
“Who knows how that’s going to play out, but it’s a really exciting time in Minnesota because they have a lot of skill. They have a lot of players who can make plays, do a lot of things and change the game. It’s not all on Justin Jefferson.”
Vikings Receive Clear Justin Jefferson Message Amid QB Battle
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-receive-clear-justin-jefferson-232920343.html
Nonetheless, Matthew Coller of Purple Insider appeared on the July 8 edition of “Yahoo! Sports Daily” and was asked about Jefferson’s future should the QB position again be an issue for the Vikings this upcoming season.
“The way that contracts are set up these days allows even more for Justin Jefferson to potentially try to ask out if this doesn’t work,” Coller said. “I don’t know if that’s something that he would ever want to do, but contracts are generally set up to have lower cap hits in the early years and then get super expensive at the end of the contract, which is where you negotiate an extension…
“It’s either you’re going to sign an extension with this team, stay with them long term, lock yourself in, probably a Minnesota Viking for life. I know how much he admires Larry Fitzgerald and the fact that he was with one franchise for his entire career. I think that’s what Justin Jefferson absolutely wants. He’s very close with Kevin O’Connell. They’ve built a great relationship through the years.”
“If you’re talking about another year of inaccurate passes, frustrations, not competing for the playoffs, the fact that the best wide receiver in football has zero playoff wins to this point is not a fact that is lost on Justin Jefferson, I don’t think,” Coller added. “So it is a really, really important year for him and the organization.”
PFF Ranks Kyler Murray 21st Among Quarterbacks, But Vikings Have Reason to Expect More
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pff-ranks-kyler-murray-21st-110038943.html
“Murray’s talent is still tantalizing when he is healthy and in rhythm. As recently as the 2024 regular season, he ranked seventh among qualifying quarterbacks in big-time throws (27) and second in yards per carry (7.3). In five starts last season, he earned a respectable 72.2 PFF passing grade.
Murray has shown he can play at a top-eight level, and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has had plenty of success with less talented quarterbacks. Perhaps the pairing will help lead Minnesota back to the postseason.”
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Compares Kyler Murray to Super Bowl Champion QB’s Situation
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/kevin-oconnell-kyler-murray-sam-darnold/
“Kyler has always been a player,” said O’Connell. “I’ve known him for a long time, and obviously having coached against him at multiple spots, and the talent you talked about bringing that different dimension. I think what he’s really done over seven years in the NFL is really maintain that dimension. But also the growth, the way he sees the field, the way he can throw with anticipation, and ultimately where he’s at in his career is a unique time. Having had the success that he had at his previous stop and ultimately wanting to build upon that and us having the opportunity to bring him to Minnesota, it felt like a great fit.”
“But at the same time, guys we’ve had a lot of success with different veteran quarterbacks at different stages of their career, whether it was Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins, and now we want to do everything we can to provide Kyler Murray with a great opportunity and see what he can do with it,” said O’Connell of Murray in preparation for his participation in the American Century Championship.
Why the worst thing for JJ McCarthy would be winning the Vikings QB job
https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/why-the-worst-thing-for-jj-mccarthy-would-be-winning-the-vikings-qb-job-172205065.html
The Vikings Have a QB Problem | MMQB
https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/vikings-qb-problem-mmqb-031608172.html
Minnesota Vikings’ biggest roster mysteries ahead of training camp are highlighted by Kyler Murray vs. J.J. McCarthy
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/minnesota-vikings-biggest-roster-mysteries-ahead-of-training-camp-kyler-murray-jj-mccarthy-jordan-mason-dallas-turner-jauan-jennings/
Vikings EDGE Dallas Turner receives well earned praise from NFL analyst, and we don’t talk about it enough
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/vikings-edge-dallas-turner-receives-well-earned-praise-from-nfl-analyst-and-we-dont-talk-about-it-enough/
One thing we don’t talk about enough with Turner is how explosive he is. Turner was one of the most athletic edge rushers coming out of the NFL Draft, especially with a 4.47 40-yard dash. Getting quick pressure is important, and ESPN’s Benjamin Solak highlighted how Turner’s get-off on the football was a big part of his 2025 breakout.
“We look at get-off, which is a NextGenStats measurement of how fast you get past the line of scrimmage as an edge rusher. Turner started firing off the ball a lot quicker. That first step really started to show up there after week three, and it translated into quick pressures. He had one quick pressure, which is a pressure in under 2.5 seconds in the first 10 weeks of the season. In the last eight weeks of the season, he had 10, that’s Turner’s calling card right now.”
“He can create quick pressures, but he also improved as a run defender over the course of the season, and there are nice rushes, wins with hand usage and with power, right? So he has the counter moves necessary to really round out into a highly effective pass rusher. Now, edge rushers can get hot for these like 8-10 week stretches, and so I don’t think the hay is in the barn that Turner’s like, you know, definitely a guy.”
New Vikings addition is primed for a breakout in Brian Flores’ defense, and it’s something we should see coming
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/new-vikings-addition-primed-breakout-season-brian-flores-defense-james-pierre/
It’s not often that a player going into his age 30 season is primed for a breakout, but that’s exactly what ESPN’s Benjamin Solak projects for new Vikings cornerback James Pierre.
“The Vikings like to rotate cornerbacks on cheap contracts, as coordinator Brian Flores’ zone-heavy and blitz-happy approach requires fewer snaps of prolonged man coverage than most other defenses. This offseason, they snagged Pierre in free agency after he made some strong spot starts with the Steelers. Pierre had only 219 coverage snaps last season, but his passer rating allowed of 49.8 was second only to Jamel Dean among cornerbacks last season. (Dean, ironically, is who the Steelers signed in free agency).
It’s worth noting that Fabian Moreau was third in passer rating allowed at 50.5 in Flores’ defense. But the Vikings still elected to cycle Moreau out for Pierre, who was coached by Flores and passing game coordinator Gerald Alexander during their time in Pittsburgh. That’s a clear sign they trust him more — and might ask for more man coverage accordingly.”
Vikings Insider Gets Blunt on Potential Jadeveon Clowney Fit
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-insider-gets-blunt-potential-075844386.html
On the July 7 edition of “The Alec Lewis Show,” Vikings reporter for The Athletic, Alec Lewis, shared his thoughts on whether veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney makes sense for Minnesota.
“I believe he played in 13 games and started six games,” Lewis said. “He may have signed late in the season with Dallas. For that to have been the case and for him to rank fourth in pressures was wowing… Now, I will say his average time to sack, because these numbers have to be put into a ton of context, was 4.78 seconds.
“That’s a long time. It’s one of the slowest average times to sack in the NFL. Last year, he was paid $3.45 million on a one-year deal. So if you’re asking me whether something like that is possible for the Vikings, I can’t fathom the idea that they would not be interested in making something like that happen.”
“The question is, and I’ve said this on the podcast in recent weeks, and I think it’s important to reiterate, does Jadeveon Clowney want to be a backup behind Dallas Turner or split time?” Lewis added.
“Does Jadeveon Clowney believe he’s deserving of much more money considering the numbers I just laid out? Does Jadeveon Clowney wait to see if there is an injury so he can sign to be a starter? All of those questions must be answered by Jadeveon Clowney and his camp, and I’d say that would delay the potential of something like that happening.”
ESPN Calls Out Biggest Weakness for Vikings
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espn-calls-biggest-weakness-vikings-131500826.html
ESPN: Vikings’ Roster Weaknesses = RB
Mike Clay made Minnesota’s top roster deficiency quite clear. He wrote, “Biggest weakness: Running back. It was a bit surprising that Minnesota did little to address this position after its running backs finished 30th in both rushing yards and scrimmage yards last season.”
“Aaron Jones Sr. has been solid throughout his career, but he’s entering his age-31 season and ranked dead last among 65 qualified backs in forced missed tackle rate and elusive rating in 2025, per PFF. Jordan Mason is an effective rusher (career 5.1 YPC) but isn’t a receiving option (28 career receptions). Undersized sixth-rounder Demond Claiborne was the team’s only offseason addition of note.”
On the other hand, Clay called the Vikings’ wide receivers the top roster strength. Perhaps the groups will balance.
The Unit in July
Without early- or mid-round rookie runners like Jonah Coleman or Mike Washington, who were available to the Vikings in the draft, Minnesota will enter training camp with the group:
Aaron Jones
Jordan Mason
Demond Claiborne
Zavier Scott
Kejon Owens
Minnesota Vikings criticized for offseason strategy while failing to mention the context why they did that
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/minnesota-vikings-criticized-offseason-strategy-211612187.html
The biggest criticism from Clay about the Vikings’ running back room was not adding enough to make an impact. There’s a small problem with the criticism: how were they supposed to add a lot of talent to the room?
Financially, the Vikings were in a tough space this offseason. They were over the cap by about $46 million and had to make a lot of difficult decisions with multiple cuts and contract restructures. They kept Jones on a paycut, which was smart because the options they had to genuinely improve the room in Travis Etienne Jr. and Kenneth Walker III were too expensive.
Even with just adding Claiborne, the Vikings still have a solid room for the 2026 season, especially with Mason being a potential breakout player with Frank Smith coming into the building. The heavier wide zone approach will be beneficial for both Jones and Mason.
It’s fair to be somewhat disappointed about not adding to the room, but it wasn’t a realistic outcome with how things were structured salary cap wise.
‘A fascinating new wrinkle’ — Jauan Jennings could give the Vikings’ coaching staff something they’ve clearly lacked in recent years
https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/tennessee-football-news-vikings-jauan-jennings-minnesota-2026-offseason-blocking-presence-for-outside-run-game/
Jauan Jennings named most intriguing newcomer for the Vikings by The Athletic
After discussing head coach Kevin O’Connell’s relative struggles at finding an impactful WR3, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis discussed the element that Jennings can bring to the offense: his run blocking.
“Jennings is an entirely different level of talent,” Lewis wrote. “The Vikings will pair him with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. His skill set adds a rugged receiving option who can dictate in certain personnel groupings to defenses. Jennings should help the run game. He adds a fascinating new wrinkle to Minnesota’s offense.”
Kevin O’Connell Wouldn’t Be the First Coach To Reinvent His Offense
https://zonecoverage.com/2026/minnesota-vikings-news/kevin-oconnell-wouldnt-be-the-first-coach-to-reinvent-his-offense/
Vikings Film Breakdown: Studying Rookie Offensive Lineman Caleb Tiernan
https://www.vikings.com/news/caleb-tiernan-offensive-lineman-film-breakdown-review-analysis-2026
Former Vikings GM Has One Big Vikings Reminder
https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/vikings-insider/the-gm-view/former-vikings-gm-has-one-big-vikings-reminder
Vikings fans quietly send J.J. McCarthy a message that could change everything
https://thevikingage.com/minnesota-vikings-fans-send-jj-mccarthy-message-could-change-everything
Fascinating J.J. McCarthy trade option is staring Minnesota Vikings right in the face
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/fascinating-j-j-mccarthy-trade-option-cleveland-browns-shedeur-sanders/
Vikings fan survey results: Less confidence makes 2026 a big year for Kevin O’Connell
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7428912/2026/07/08/vikings-fan-survey-results-kevin-oconnell-jj-mccarthy/
Minnesota Vikings opposing quarterbacks ranked in tiers
https://www.skornorth.com/minnesota-vikings-opposing-quarterbacks-ranked-in-tiers/
What questions do Vikings need to answer in training camp? | ‘GMFB’
https://www.nfl.com/videos/what-questions-do-vikings-need-to-answer-in-training-camp-gmfb
Is 2026 Dwight McGlothern’s Time to Shine?
https://zonecoverage.com/2026/minnesota-vikings-news/is-2026-dwight-mcglotherns-time-to-shine/
NFL Analyst Claims Vikings’ Locker Room Could Get Ugly
https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/news/top_news/vikings-qb-competition-locker-room-warning
Trading J.J. McCarthy Makes No Sense For the Vikings
https://zonecoverage.com/2026/minnesota-vikings-news/trading-j-j-mccarthy-makes-no-sense-for-the-vikings/
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