3 Vikings bold predictions for 2026 NFL season as Kyler Murray tries to revive career in Minnesota

There is quite a bit of pressure on the duo of Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and quarterback Kyler Murray as the 2026 season gets underway. O’Connell has led his team to the postseason in two of his four seasons at the helm, but the Vikings were not able to win a postseason game in either of those seasons.

Murray is a brilliant athlete who comes to the Vikings after seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Injuries slowed him down in two of the past three seasons, but he is healthy again this year and has a chance to be very dangerous.

Murray has a boatload of excellent weapons on his side, something he never had in Arizona. The wide receiver crew of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings may be the best trio in the league, while he appears to have a solid running game behind him with Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.

The X-factor in the Vikings offense is Murray’s ability to escape pressure and make plays on the edge. He can buy extra time for his wide receivers or take off on his own. This can allow the Vikings to string scoring drives together and build significant leads.

The key for Murray — who has been a two-time Pro Bowler — may be getting off to a solid start. The Vikings open the season with vital divisional games against the Packers and the Bears, followed by the Buccaneers and the Dolphins. A 3-1 start could mean that Murray is on his way to a sensational year. There will be many difficult tests throughout the season, but his confidence will grow dramatically if he gets out of the gate in impressive fashion.

Murray will start the season with a pair of 3-TD performances against Packers, Bears

The Packers will not have edge rusher Micah Parsons or top running back Josh Jacobs in the lineup for the season opener, and that means the Vikings should have a chance to open the season in impressive fashion against their hated rivals.

Jefferson suffered through a down year in 2025 — even though he had 1,048 receiving yards — because former starter J.J. McCarthy missed connections with him when he was open too many times. Murray should be able to stay calm and hit Jefferson as he makes his breaks.

Additionally, Murray and Addison have been working hard in the offseason and in training camp to build a rapport. Addison has game-breaking speed and the two will combine on home run shots against the Packers and Bears.

Finally, Jennings established himself as a solid receiver during his tenure with the 49ers. He will face single-coverage all season long and will show that he can get open on key third-down and red zone plays when the Vikings need him most.

Running game will be quite a bit better than 2025

The ability of Murray to escape pressure should be a boon to the Vikings ground attack. Jones may not be at the peak of his abilities at the age of 31, but he is still quick enough to finish his runs with a burst. He also knows how to set up defenders. Mason is nearly the equal of Jones and that’s a solid 1-2 punch for Minnesota.

Those two combined for 1,226 yards an 8 TDs last year, and that’s not nearly the kind of production that O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips are projecting. That’s where Murray’s athletic ability comes into play. The quarterback will have multiple opportunities to run with the ball himself.

In addition to escaping pressure, the Vikings have to design at least a few key plays where Murray runs the ball on his own and takes off around the outside. Murray still has the explosive speed needed to run past the defense — particularly on bootlegs or counters — and that can change the outcome of any game.

Murray ran for 572 yards and 5 TDs two years ago when he was healthy. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry that season, and if he can average anything over 6.0 yards per attempt, the Vikings offense should be powerful this season.

Look for a huge year from Van Ginkel on the defensive side

The Vikings have been able to maintain a solid defensive outlook throughout Brian Flores’ tenure as the team’s defensive coordinator. He does not have that one dominant player who can punish opponents though violent hits. The success the Vikings have had on defense has been through solid positioning, excellent placement of personnel and the ability to get after the quarterback with frequent blitzes.

No player on the team is in a better position to make key defensive plays than outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. At 6-4 and 244 pounds, Van Ginkel can get after the quarterback, make plays against the run and ruin the opponents passing game with deflections and interceptions.

Van Ginkel was a Pro Bowler in 2024 when he had 79 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 6 passes defensed, 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble. He ran one of those interceptions back for a touchdown. That’s the kind of production Flores would like to see from Van Ginkel again this season.

Expect Van Ginkel to make his second Pro Bowl in 2026.

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