Minnesota Vikings 2026 preview: The QB battle between Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy will define the season

• Quarterback uncertainty: The competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy will shape Minnesota's 2026 outlook.

• Defensive reinforcements: James Pierre headlines an offseason focused on strengthening the defense, while the draft emphasized the defensive front.

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The Minnesota Vikings closed the 2025 season on a five-game winning streak, but a stretch of six losses in seven games during the middle of the season ultimately cost them a playoff berth. They enter 2026 with a major question mark at quarterback, but the roster is talented enough to compete in the NFC North if they can find stability at the position before the season begins.

Here is our 2026 preview of the Minnesota Vikings.

Key Free Agency/Trade Additions

The addition of Jauan Jennings gives the Vikings one of the league's strongest wide receiver trios, as Jennings will partner with Jordan Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Jennings has caught 38 of his 64 contested targets over the past two seasons, and he forced 10 missed tackles on 55 receptions last season.

At cornerback, James Pierre broke out with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025. Across 255 coverage snaps, he allowed just 16 receptions on 35 targets into his coverage while recording nine pass breakups and one interception. Given the relatively small sample size, it is too early to expect him to sustain that level of production, but his 2025 performance suggests he is capable of building on it this season.

2026 NFL Draft Class

The Vikings focused on the defensive front with their first three draft picks, betting on Banks' upside in the first round. He played just 96 snaps during his final college season but made the most of his Senior Bowl opportunity, generating four pressures on just 14 pass-rushing snaps. Golday earned PFF grades above 80.0 in both of his seasons at Cincinnati, while his 90.6 PFF run-defense grade ranked fourth among draft-eligible linebackers.

Bredeson could carve out an immediate role on offense by replacing C.J. Ham at fullback. Ham played 184 snaps for the Vikings last season despite missing time with an injury, after logging at least 200 snaps in both 2023 and 2024. With Bredeson earning an 85.2 PFF run-blocking grade in his final season at Michigan, he profiles as a natural replacement.

Reasons for optimism

Despite inconsistent quarterback play last season, Justin Jefferson extended his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career. It was the first season of his career in which he averaged fewer than 2.50 yards per route run, finishing at 1.88. That underscores the importance of getting the quarterback position right, and if the Vikings do, Jefferson should return to producing at an elite level.

The Vikings also saw significant growth from second-year edge defender Dallas Turner. The 17th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft earned a 70.2 PFF pass-rush grade after posting a 55.2 mark as a rookie. He generated 42 total pressures on 288 pass-rushing snaps.

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Reason for pessimism

The Vikings traded away edge defender Jonathan Greenard, who led the team with 47 total pressures last season. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores' scheme relies heavily on the blitz, so linebacker Eric Wilson could once again rank among the team's leaders in total pressures. That approach also reduces the need for a true difference-maker off the edge compared to many other defenses, but the lack of an edge defender with a PFF pass-rush grade above 75.0 does limit the unit's flexibility.

Breakout Candidate

An undrafted free agent in 2023, defensive tackle Jalen Redmond earned a 72.7 PFF grade across 793 snaps in 2025. It marked his second straight season with a PFF grade above 70.0, but it came over a significantly larger sample. He also developed into a more well-rounded player, generating 35 pressures on 369 pass-rushing snaps, with nine resulting in combined sacks and quarterback hits, while earning a 72.7 PFF run-defense grade.

Key roster battles

The quarterback battle will define the Vikings' offseason and likely determine how far they can go in 2026. Kyler Murray has earned a PFF grade above 65.0 in every season since his rookie campaign in 2019. That is a stronger track record than McCarthy's based on his lone regular season, while Murray also provides more as a runner.

McCarthy showed flashes, however, with his 7.3% big-time throw rate trailing only Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams last season. The issue was consistency, as his 4.8% turnover-worthy play rate ranked sixth worst among qualified quarterbacks. Murray enters 2026 with the higher floor, but there is a case to be made that McCarthy offers the higher ceiling.