Vikings’ most agonizing roster decision looming on 2026 cutdown day

The Minnesota Vikings have not had many secrets regarding their roster this summer. The focus for head coach Kevin O’Connell has been on the quarterback position since the end of last season.

That’s when the 9-8 Vikings took a hard look at their season and came to the conclusion that they did not get the kind of quarterback play they needed to win the NFC North or make the playoffs. They could have been fooled, because they closed the season with a 5-game winning streak. However, the truth was told in the first 12 games of the season when they were just 4-8 on the season.

That was largely due to the inaccuracy and inconsistency of quarterback J.J. McCarthy. O’Connell, one of the foremost quarterback whisperers in the NFL, did not like what he saw. There were a number of games where McCarthy had the opportunity to get the ball to All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Instead of producing a game-changing play to one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL, McCarthy missed the big-play specialist by significant amounts. Jefferson is not the kind of receiver who is going to show up his quarterback with words or gestures, but the look on his face was unmistakable. “If you had gotten me that ball, I would have scored.”

There is no doubt that O’Connell came to the same conclusion and that’s why the Vikings brought in Kyler Murray. The former Arizona Cardinals quarterback had apparently run out of rope in the desert and O’Connell wanted him to compete for the starting job.

At least that was the theory. However, instead of seeing how both quarterbacks performed in preseason games, O’Connell quickly declared Murray as the team’s starting quarterback and the winner in the competition.

Will McCarthy maintain his spot on the roster?

The Vikings struggled last year because they did not have a veteran quarterback who could step in when McCarthy had issues. After signing with the Vikings late in training camp, it took him a while to grow into the Vikings system. He would later end up on Injured Reserve.

He was re-signed by the Vikings and has an excellent understanding of what O’Connell wants from his quarterback. In addition to knowing the Minnesota system, he has been a winning quarterback in his 10-year career.

That has raised the question of whether the Vikings would be better off with Wentz as the No. 2 quarterback or does McCarthy deserve the job. If the answer is Wentz, should McCarthy be on the team as the No. 3 quarterback?

The Vikings certainly don’t want to look at the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and declare him a failure, but they don’t want to turn the most important position on the field over to a player that the coaching staff and the Vikings players don’t believe in.

McCarthy was hoping to make a stand in the Vikings’ final preseason game against the Denver Broncos, but he had lingering soreness in his ankle from an injury suffered against the Baltimore Ravens in the second preseason game. It did not appear to be a serious injury, but perhaps it will result in McCarthy being placed on the Injured List.

That means Wentz would serve as the No. 2 signal caller and second-year QB Max Brosmer would be the third-team quarterback.

It is clearly an agonizing situation for the Vikings organization.

Wide receiver represents a tough call as well

The Vikings feel like they have one of the strongest trio of wide receivers in the NFL. While Jefferson did not have a banner year in 2025, he exceeded 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth consecutive season. Jordan Addison has explosive speed and he has developed a brilliant rapport with Murray in training camp. The Vikings signed former 49er Jauan Jennings in the offseason and he should be an excellent No. 3 wide receiver.

He caught 55 passes for 643 yards and an eye-catching 9 touchdowns last year, and that came a year after his eye-opening 77-975-6 performance in 2024.

The Vikings also have confidence in Myles Price and Tai Felton to fill out the receiving crew, but they have also liked what they have seen from Dillon Bell, an undrafted rookie from Georgia. He has size at 6-1 and 210 pounds, and if the Vikings don’t keep him around, he is likely to be plucked by another team on cutdown day.

The Vikings will certainly keep him around and put him on the practice squad, but that may not be enough to keep him in the fold. If they decide to keep him, they may put themselves in a vulnerable spot at another crucial position.

That’s something the Vikings can’t afford, especially on the defensive side of the field.

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