Morning Joes

The 2026 NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 23, but so does the future of the Minnesota Vikings. It could be argued that this is the most consequential draft for the team in the past decade or two, but then they are all fairly consequential, particularly if you miss on your picks. The Vikings come into this draft having done their share of pick-missing during the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah era, so the pressure is on hit on all nine of the Purple Picks in this draft. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Will they trade up or back in the draft (as former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did in the past); will they stand pat and take the BPA (best player available); will they surprise fans and take a QB (very doubtful, but you never know); or will they strengthen the offensive and defensive lines, which will rank low on the “wow” meter? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The NFL draft nears like some ominous apparition quietly flapping its ratty black wings through a rising mist toward a stalled Vikings ship in still and murky waters. Too much? Maybe not. It should be an exciting time, but for Vikings fans, dread always attends the draft until that first trade of their top pick for a later-round selection or it’s retained and a player such as Troy Williamson is selected. And then the handwringing and self-recriminations (for believing, once more) begin. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The NFL owners and coaches met in Arizona this past week for the annual league meetings, and that means media access to some of the teams’ top personnel. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke and intimated his plans for the Purple’s 2026 quarterbacks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

But for now, during the offseason, the Wentz signing raises a number of questions. Certainly, it makes sense for Wentz (on the back nine of his career) to resign with the team he grew up following and rooting for. But what does it mean for the Vikings—and in particular one third-year QB names J.J. McCarthy? There are those who believe his days are numbered in Minnesota (we, here, are not among them). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s the offseason in the NFL, where speculation trickles down from the sky (or internet) and lands like so much wet, March snow, becoming frozen and as slippery a slope as any Purple prediction. It often means little and is gone in a trifling, yet sometimes that speculation holds and the Vikings get their guy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The biggest potential free agent for the Purple, however, is quarterback Kyler Murray, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday. Most observers have the Vikings as the odds-on-favorite to land him. (But, at press time, Murray was scheduled for a visit and a physical at TCO Performance Center, and no signing had yet been announced.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Reports from ESPN surfaced this week that the first two cuts/trades are imminent: defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and running back Aaron Jones. Both are old (33 and 31, respectively and expensive ($21,453,382 and $14,550,000 in cap hits, respectively). That is a start, but there is plenty more to do. While the Vikings are known to be over the cap, potential trade partners, if they exist at all, will be more likely to wait until March 11, when teams have to be under the cap, and see which players are cut and become more affordable. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

During the NFL offseason, it is time to look forward, backward and sideways (and in this case we look at the Minnesota Vikings). There is always plenty to look forward to, as this is the season of speculation designed specifically for Purple prognostication. And, as far as the Vikings are concerned, there is a great history of individual performances, near misses and more than an odd or exceptional win/loss to discuss. The Vikings are an infinitely fascinating franchise if not ultimately a successful one (where success is often only defined by winning the Super Bowl). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Congratulations to Sam Darnold—let’s just get that out here right away before too much lamenting and self-loathing over what could have been cloud one of the best football reclamation stories in league history. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kwesi was relieved of his duties on January 30. And while the disappointing 2025 campaign was not all his fault, by any stretch of this imagination, plenty of blame can be laid at his feet. Since becoming the GM in 2022, Kwesi has produced uneven drafts at best and woefully unproductive ones annually. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Vikings are out of the Super Bowl this season. We have known this for some time as they were eliminated long before the regular season ended. But some former Vikings made it: former Vikings quarterback and current Seattle Seahawk Sam Darnold will face off against New England Patriots Garrett Bradbury (C) and (WR) Stephon Diggs (the first two players were Vikings last season, the latter, Diggs, stills holds a spot in the recent memory of Vikings fans with his TD catch of the Minneapolis Miracle). So, what does Purple Nation think of this? Who will they cheer for? They can’t all lose. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With a winning record of 9-8 this season, the Minnesota Vikings finished just one-half game out of the playoffs this season. (The Green Bay Packers made it ahead of them thanks to their tie in Dallas.) But you would hardly know it given the wailing and gnashing of teeth regarding how the 2025 season went for the Purple. Injuries derailed them and spotty quarterback play cemented an early end to their season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Vikings need to get a more veteran QB in house to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job next season. So, who could it possibly be? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The good news: The Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 16-3 in the season finale; they finish the season on a five-game winning streak and outside the basement of the NFC North Division; and quarterback J.J. McCarthy returns from injury to get the win and help finish off a 9-8 season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said before the game against that Detroit Lions that he wanted his team to be the Grim Reapers and wield a death knell to the visiting Lions’ playoffs hopes. And while they did that with a 23-10 victory, a more appropriate guise would have been The Grinch (in the first act of that famous holiday program), as the Vikings defense took away all the Lions’ holiday cheer by creating six turnovers—and giving none of them back. Quarterback Max Brosmer, filling in for the injured J.J. McCarthy, suffered seven sacks in the game but did not turnover the ball on his way to his first victory as an NFL signal caller. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The low-scoring, injury-riddled slugfest aside, the Vikings find themselves at another inflection point of their season, awaiting (on Monday) news on the severity of McCarthy’s injury. It’s important he finishes the season on the field for both his own development and the organization’s ability to evaluate him. Thus far, complete evaluation of the second-year QB has proved difficult, as he missed his rookie campaign with a knee injury and missed 6.5 games in 2025 (due to ankle, concussion and hand injuries) compiling just 8.5 games in his career.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

J.J. gets the headlines, but there should be plenty conversation about the Vikings defense, which had another great performance (coming on the heels of a shutout last week against Washington). They balled out once again, this time stifling the league’s number one offense in Dallas. McCarthy also got some help from his place kicker, Will Reichard, who hit two field goals, including a 53-yarder late to give the Vikings a two-score lead and essentially put the game on ice.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Turnabout is fair play. After going two games (23 possessions) without a touchdown, the Vikings took the ball down the field in the opening drive of the game against the Washington Commanders and scored on a bullet from J.J. McCarthy to tight end Josh Oliver (his first of two touchdown receptions on the day). And that was enough to defeat the hapless Commanders (eventually 31-0), who just took another step toward a high pick in next year’s draft. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The difficult loss cannot all be laid at the feet (arm) of the former Golden Gopher quarterback: the offensive line did him no favors, giving up four sacks in protection and offering little in run blocking, needed to take pressure off the young signal caller. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.