Vikings Offseason 2026

[The Great Hambino]

Vikings officially get just one comp pick for 2026, though it is the highest one awarded at #97

[nicksaviking]

20 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

With things slowing down some, there’s only 2 guys I want signed… Rashid Shaheed, and either Geno/Murray on the league min deal. The rest can be depth signings for all I care 

Murray and Smith do seem like the best options to prevent JJ from turning into a Bryce Young so I'm down.

I'd guess the Vikings don't spend money on Shaheed since Myles Price is cheap and looked promising last year as a return guy.

[Vanimal46]

Shaheed re-signed with Seattle... Smart by the Seahawks to keep him. 

[Vanimal46]

Old friend best 3rd TE in football is back on the market

[Vanimal46]

What's the latest on Alijah Vera-Tucker? 

Leo Chenal still hanging around too which might be important if we trade Greenard...

[TheLeviathan]

Vikings weren't kidding about sitting out the first round of FA.  

[Mike Sixel]

23 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

Vikings weren't kidding about sitting out the first round of FA.  

They had to. The drafts and signings the last few years really handcuffed them. 

[TheLeviathan]

1 minute ago, Mike Sixel said:

They had to. The drafts and signings the last few years really handcuffed them. 

Agreed, but even for what I expected to happen (read: quiet) this has been REALLY quiet.  

The draft fails are really showing up now, that's 100% correct.

[Vanimal46]

27 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

Vikings weren't kidding about sitting out the first round of FA.  

They're throwing all of their eggs into the draft basket this offseason, and the only thing that's changed is letting Kwesi go. What could go wrong? 

[TheLeviathan]

5 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

They're throwing all of their eggs into the draft basket this offseason, and the only thing that's changed is letting Kwesi go. What could go wrong? 

Well, here's the thing....how many actual starters do they need?  By my count: C, RB (sorta), S (If Smith retires and it's starting to sound like he isn't), FB, and DT.

That's not a heavy shopping list.  So if you can fill in rotational level pieces in FA that makes some sense.  Clear the books out from your mistakes and use FA money for rotational/depth guys.  It makes sense, but just another symptom of the fail of last year.

[Vanimal46]

Aaron Jones takes a paycut and remains with the Vikings for 2026 at $5.5 million base salary.

[Danchat]

Ugh, going with Jones at age 32 to be our starting RB is not a good idea. He missed half the year with injuries last season and even in 2024 he was beaten down by the end of the season and was of no help in the playoffs. That's now 4 players age 30+ they've signed/retained. I was hoping they would start getting younger and sign a couple under-the-radar FAs (how about 25 year old LB Chenal for almost the same deal Eric Wilson got?), but instead they are running back the same team and are convinced they can be SB contenders with only a QB change when this roster has a lot more problems than that.

Don't tell me, next they're going to bring back Harrison Smith at age 37...

[Vanimal46]

5 minutes ago, Danchat said:

but instead they are running back the same team and are convinced they can be SB contenders with only a QB change when this roster has a lot more problems than that.

If that's the path they're choosing, then it doesn't make much sense to trade Greenard. I'd rather give him a raise for 2026, and if this roster isn't good enough, then we blow it all up next offseason. 

[nicksaviking]

11 minutes ago, Danchat said:

Ugh, going with Jones at age 32 to be our starting RB is not a good idea. He missed half the year with injuries last season and even in 2024 he was beaten down by the end of the season and was of no help in the playoffs. That's now 4 players age 30+ they've signed/retained. I was hoping they would start getting younger and sign a couple under-the-radar FAs (how about 25 year old LB Chenal for almost the same deal Eric Wilson got?), but instead they are running back the same team and are convinced they can be SB contenders with only a QB change when this roster has a lot more problems than that.

Don't tell me, next they're going to bring back Harrison Smith at age 37...

This is starting to feel like a Spielman era offseason. 

They don't have to put the band back together EVERY single year.

[nicksaviking]

9 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

If that's the path they're choosing, then it doesn't make much sense to trade Greenard. I'd rather give him a raise for 2026, and if this roster isn't good enough, then we blow it all up next offseason. 

The roster is so old they're close to having to blow it up next year regardless of what happens.

Next year is seriously the last shot at hitting on a franchise QB before they have to trade Jefferson. He'll be 28 next season. There is no way around it, they have to manage a top QB in the draft or trade for an elite option. I appreciated they made a big swing with McCarthy, but it wasn't big enough and you can't follow up big swings with half-measures, which is what the team did last year and what it's doing now. 

Actually, I don't know if you can even say that what they're doing now is a half measure. Quarter measure maybe?

[Vanimal46]

4 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

The roster is so old they're close to having to blow it up next year regardless of what happens.

Next year is seriously the last shot at hitting on a franchise QB before they have to trade Jefferson. He'll be 28 next season. There is no way around it, they have to manage a top QB in the draft or trade for an elite option. I appreciated they made a big swing with McCarthy, but it wasn't big enough and you can't follow up big swings with half-measures, which is what the team did last year and what it's doing now. 

Actually, I don't know if you can even say that what they're doing now is a half measure. Quarter measure maybe?

Like you, Dan, and everyone else in the thread I wish they would go younger now and build as much draft capital as possible for 2027. Then again, I can see the logic if the Triangle of Authority thinks this team can make the playoffs and win. They won 9 games with the worst QB play in the league... 

[Vanimal46]

18 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

This is starting to feel like a Spielman era offseason. 

They don't have to put the band back together EVERY single year.

KOC and Flores both love their comfortable, cozy veteran players. 

[nicksaviking]

15 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

KOC and Flores both love their comfortable, cozy veteran players. 

I thought they had been better the last couple of years. Plenty of changes all over the defense since 2023. On offense I think they only extended Jefferson, Darrisaw and O'Neill which was good, and let the RBs and QBs walk. Which maybe wasn't good but I was on board with.

Not this year though. Not only is Jones and Wilson and possibly Smith back, but they also brought back Pace. 

[nicksaviking]

Hargrave released.

The timing surely means they thought they might be able to trade him. Not surprising that they couldn't, he wasn't bad, but he wasn't worth what he was being paid.

That lack of league-wide perception doesn't inspire me that they'll be able to get something good for Greenard.

[Danchat]

35 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Hargrave released.

The timing surely means they thought they might be able to trade him. Not surprising that they couldn't, he wasn't bad, but he wasn't worth what he was being paid.

That lack of league-wide perception doesn't inspire me that they'll be able to get something good for Greenard.

Post June 1st release for Allen. The timing is that the league year just opened. Hence why we're getting news like this now:

 

[nicksaviking]

44 minutes ago, Danchat said:

Post June 1st release for Allen. The timing is that the league year just opened. Hence why we're getting news like this now:

 

Typically I'm for due diligence, but what's with the visits and physicals prior to announcing a framework of a deal? Willis, Pickett, Minshew, Trubisky and even Tua didn't do visits and physicals. And forget about QBs, we've just gone through three days of non-stop signings and no other player did visits and physicals prior to an announcement. This is a league minimum deal, there shouldn't be much in the way of caution here. And if he blows the physical, you don't sign the paperwork. 

My only concern with this dilly-dallying is that they Vikings are going to be in a really bad spot if they let another team waltz in and lure him away.

[Vanimal46]

 

 

[TheLeviathan]

5 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

 

 

What are Barr, Rhodes, and Kendricks up to these days.

[Vanimal46]

It's happening whether we like it or not. Once he signs, the clock starts to figure out a trade for McCarthy. Him rotting on the bench for most of 2026 is going to destroy his trade value. So let's get a mid round pick and move on. 

[nicksaviking]

8 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

It's happening whether we like it or not. Once he signs, the clock starts to figure out a trade for McCarthy. Him rotting on the bench for most of 2026 is going to destroy his trade value. So let's get a mid round pick and move on. 

I'm guessing selling or keeping McCarthy would be pretty split amongst Vikings fans. You got my vote though. Full steam ahead for trying to find a franchise QB in 2027 again; I'm good taking away all temptations to do otherwise.

[Mike Sixel]

2 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

I'm guessing selling or keeping McCarthy would be pretty split amongst Vikings fans. You got my vote though. Full steam ahead for trying to find a franchise QB in 2027 again; I'm good taking away all temptations to do otherwise.

But Murray will get them to ten or eleven wins with this defense.... So they'll pick way too late for that. That's why I like McCarthy starting. He's either great, awful, or hurt.... And they'll know....

[Mike Sixel]

Murray seems inevitable, so I hope it happens soon if it is going to......are the Vikings sitting out phase 2 of FA also? Man, they really blew the budget the last two years....

[TheLeviathan]

4 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

It's happening whether we like it or not. Once he signs, the clock starts to figure out a trade for McCarthy. Him rotting on the bench for most of 2026 is going to destroy his trade value. So let's get a mid round pick and move on. 

Kyler Murray's ability to play 17 games should not be considered reliable.  He's had seasons with 5, 8, and 11 in three of the last four seasons.

The Vikings should absolutely not be trading McCarthy for some mid round pick.  If they do that for one year of Kyler I may seriously have to reconsider my fandom.

That's stupid at unconscionable levels.  

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

But Murray will get them to ten or eleven wins with this defense.... So they'll pick way too late for that. That's why I like McCarthy starting. He's either great, awful, or hurt.... And they'll know....

My problem is that option four seems way more likely. He's just mediocre. I think the chances he's great next year are next to none. He could be awful, but he'd almost certainly be better than last year, so that would put him in position to be mediocre. Daniel Jones, Tua, Murray and Love all got terrible extensions for being mediocre. The Panthers and Texans are up next to see if they have the stones to make the tough decision and cut bait on their QBs.

The Vikings, who much like the Steelers, seem to be more concerned with not being bad than they are with being great, are extremely susceptible to making a poor decision here.

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, nicksaviking said:

My problem is that option four seems way more likely. He's just mediocre. I think the chances he's great next year are next to none. He could be awful, but he'd almost certainly be better than last year, so that would put him in position to be mediocre. Daniel Jones, Tua, Murray and Love all got terrible extensions for being mediocre. The Panthers and Texans are up next to see if they have the stones to make the tough decision and cut bait on their QBs.

The Vikings, who much like the Steelers, seem to be more concerned with not being bad than they are with being great, are extremely susceptible to making a poor decision here.

That last sentence burns with the truth of a thousand suns.