NFL 2025 Week 18: Here Are the Biggest Problems for the Minnesota Vikings This Offseason
Despite being eliminated from playoff contention a week ago, the Minnesota Vikings still played with passion on Christmas Day against the Detroit Lions and grinded out a tough 23-10 win. One of the best defensive performances from the entire Brian Flores era as the defensive coordinator in Minnesota was enough to outweigh a historically bad offensive performance from backup quarterback Max Brosmer, and the Vikings got to enjoy playing spoiler for the Lions’ season by also knocking them out of playoff contention.
It’s a shocking result to see the two teams that were fighting for the top of the NFC North last season fall to the bottom of the division just one season later, but it’s not impossible to explain. The Lions lost key coordinators who played a larger role in their success than they imagined, and the Vikings’ poor planning at QB led to both teams facing down an ugly offseason that will arrive all too early.
The early arrival of the offseason for the Vikings, in particular, brings many questions that were pushed aside back into the spotlight. There are plenty of headaches ahead for the Vikings’ front office this offseason. Here are the most pressing problems they will need to solve before the 2026 NFL season arrives.
What Are We Doing at QB?
If I had a nickel for every time any Vikings QB was mentioned this season, I’d probably be a millionaire.
Second-year QB J.J. McCarthy’s mentions alone might earn me thousands of dollars. I’ve already covered the disappointment McCarthy has brought to Vikings fans at length, as well as the major mistake the Vikings made by installing no backup plan if McCarthy failed. All that pain and oversight can be left in the past, however, if the Vikings make the right moves in the offseason.
I, along with several other Vikings fans, wish to see J.J. McCarthy depart from the Vikings. He’s had a mostly terrible season statistically, and just when he had two good games in a row, he got injured for the third time this season and the fourth time in his short NFL career. His poor play and injury tendencies should be enough to scare the Vikings away. A trade for Joe Burrow is a pipe dream, but if there’s a realistic chance of it happening, it should, of course, be pursued. The more likely option, however, is that the Vikings keep McCarthy around, but at the very least, they must bring in some QB competition to force McCarthy to either play better or ride the pine. Cheap, one-year options could include Mac Jones, Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones, a Kirk Cousins reunion, or even my new favorite, Malik Willis. All could provide value that keeps the Vikings from entirely giving up if McCarthy continues on an ugly career arc.
How Will Cap Space Be Cleared?
The Vikings have the second-most money in the NFL committed to their roster for 2026 and will be somewhere just under $28 million in the hole before roster cuts begin. Cuts could start with DT Javon Hargrave, who signed a lucrative deal this past offseason but was outplayed by DT Jalen Redmond, but after that, it’s anyone’s guess. The Vikings may have to part ways with some fan favorites, with guys like TE T.J. Hockenson, RT Brian O’Neill, LB Blake Cashman, and one of the two edge rushers, between Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard, candidates to be shown the door. They could restructure some deals and push the money back further, but that may only put off a larger problem. Their decisions about how to allocate their salary cap money will be key to how next season plays out on the field.
What Is Needed in the Draft?
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has had a poor track record drafting players so far (some of us still remember him trading away the pick that could’ve been used to draft Kyle Hamilton). He could finally defeat that narrative with a stellar draft class this season. The Vikings will have a first-round pick that will likely be somewhere in the middle of the round, but there they could find game-changing players like Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, or a number of solid cornerbacks options. After that, the focus for this team in the 2026 NFL Draft should be adding depth that can step in if the Vikings have more injury troubles like the ones this year presented.
Need To Resign Brian Flores
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been nothing short of phenomenal since he joined the Vikings staff in 2023, and the game against the Lions just proved how talented he is with the right players at his disposal. Flores’ contract expires at the end of the season, and he may get calls for a head coaching position, but the Vikings must do everything they can to get Flores back on staff. If he leaves, the defense could go from feared to foolish. If he stays, the era of Purple Reign can reignite on defense.
Vikings Must Tread Carefully
If the Vikings make the wrong moves this offseason, there could be heads rolling in the front office, chief among them Adofo-Mensah. The Vikings have plenty of time to think about how they want to form their identity for next season, so they can’t afford to make mistakes. If they focus in and make the right moves, they could have a Super Bowl shot with a competitive roster. If they make poor decisions, the whole team may be blown up. Only time will tell how their offseason plays out. Until then, we’ll cry one more Skol Vikes! for old time’s sake.