Training camp is a time of optimism for the vast majority of NFL teams. The Vikings are clearly among the teams dreaming of a big season ahead, especially if they stay healthy and get better overall production from the quarterback position.
After a month of vacation time, the Vikings coaches are back to work and preparing for 2026 training camp that opens with the rookies reporting on Sunday and the vets two days later. There will be the usual ramp-up period before things crank up in earnest with the first padded practice on Monday, August 3, before the usual full house of fans at Vikings HQ in Eagan.
The Vikings defense should be solid coming off a top-five season, but there will be several new starters, and young players are being counted on to produce, especially along the defensive line. We expect Brian Flores’ defense to perform up to recent standards.
The key to a playoff season in 2026, contending for the NFC North title and possibly making a playoff run, seems to point to the offense that is loaded with supporting talent for whoever is running the show at quarterback. The QB — whether it’s Kyler Murray (most likely) or J.J. McCarthy — has to lead the offense to better production than last season when the Vikings ranked 28th in yards per game, 29th in passing offense, 23rd in rushing yards, and 26th in scoring after being a top 10 team in most offensive categories in the 14-win season of 2024.
The Vikings also led the NFL in giveaways with 30 and threw the most interceptions (21). Murray has generally been good at protecting the ball. He has a 2% career interception rate, whereas McCarthy was at 4.9% in his first season as a starter in 2025, but his numbers should improve with experience. Let’s further break down the offense by position and identify what the team needs to do this season:
All eyes are on Murray and McCarthy entering training camp. We’ll be watching to see how Kevin O’Connell handles the first-team reps early on, with the expectation Murray and McCarthy will basically split them for the first week or so. O’Connell will want to get Murray the lion’s share as soon as possible if it’s obvious he’s going to be the September 13 starter against the Packers.
We know it’s not an easy offense to learn, and Murray was up and down in OTAs and minicamp as he dealt with the learning curve. He’d better get it together quickly in camp, or the door could open for McCarthy, especially if Murray struggles in the two days of joint practices with the Ravens in Week 3 of training camp.
As I’ve said during the offseason, Murray is at a career crossroads, and a big season will likely lead to another $50 million-plus-per-year contract with the Vikings or elsewhere. So the pressure is on big-time, and he needs to know this offense inside and out as quickly as he can and perform at the level expected for a first overall pick. And neither player should say a word about how many reps they’re getting. Just go to work and don’t complain.
Keeping Murray and McCarthy healthy through training camp is obviously critical since they’ve both had injury issues in recent seasons. Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer should get the bulk of the playing time in the three preseason games, but the hope is neither of them plays in the regular season.
The reality is we won’t know how the QB position is shaking out in terms of overall productivity this season and prospects until after the 2026 season, as we remember well McCarthy was Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the 2025 season opening win in Chicago and then his season was a roller coaster from there. And Sam Darnold was terrific in 2024 until he laid an egg in the last two games.
I think the position is well-stocked with a mix of styles among Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Zavier Scott and the intriguing rookie speedster Demond Claiborne. Does Jones still have the juice to be a productive starter at 31 years old? I think he does, but we’ll be watching him in camp and early regular season to see if he can play at his excellent 2024 level when he had a combined 1,548 yards rushing and receiving with seven TDs. He needs to stay on the field after missing five games last season. Mason averaged 4.8 yards per carry and should be even better if the O-line stays healthy (especially tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill). Scott did some nice things in limited duty, especially as a receiving back.
Claiborne is the wild card in this group. He brings elite speed (4.37 in the 40) and is a dual-threat player. He’ll play a lot in preseason games when Jones is held out, so he’ll have an opportunity to carve out a role for the regular season if he performs well (and possibly a bigger role in the future).
Fifth-round bulldog Max Bredeson takes on the C.J. Ham fullback role as lead blocker and special teams contributor. We’ll see how much he becomes part of this offense, but he appears to be a good fit.
This is the strongest position on the team. Justin Jefferson is one of the two or three best in the league, and I expect a huge season from him with better QB play leading to 1,500-plus receiving yards and a lot more TDs than the two he had in 2025. Jordan Addison is one of the best No. 2 WRs but needs to avoid the drops that hurt him and the team last season. Jauan Jennings is a solid third who should make as many catches as the departed Jalen Nailor.
Tai Felton looked improved this offseason so we’ll see if he can make a move towards more play time and being the No. 3 at a cheaper price than Jennings in 2027. There’s some talent among the other wide receivers in camp, including Dillon Bell, Myles Price, Jeshaun Jones, and Dontae Fleming. It will be fun to watch these players in camp practices and preseason games, with the top three unlikely to play much in the three games (and Jefferson not at all).
At 29 years old, T.J. Hockenson should still be a Pro Bowl-caliber player and a big intermediate target for the Vikings QBs. The Vikings need him to be back in his 2023 form before his ACL injury, when he had a career-best 95 catches for 960 yards and five TDs. It will be interesting to see how he connects with the Vikings QBs in camp and what his role looks like. I expect a big season for Hockenson, who took a pay cut and wants to re-establish himself as an elite tight end ahead of his potential free agency in 2027.
Josh Oliver remains a critical part of the blocking scheme in the run game and pass protection as one of the league’s best in these areas. He also had four TD catches last season and has proven to be a dependable receiver. Ben Yurosek and Gavin Bartholomew will compete for the third tight end spot, but it would not be a surprise if Bredeson takes on that role in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
I have a strong feeling the offensive line will be a team strength this season and that the potentially elite tackles — Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill — will be much healthier than in recent years (they missed a combined 11 games last season). Darrisaw looks much more confident in his knee that limited him last season (after the 2024 ACL tear). He should make his first Pro Bowl this year. O’Neill is looking for an extension as he enters the last year of his contract, and like Darrisaw, he’s an excellent player when healthy.
Will Fries and Donovan Jackson are solid as starting guards, with Jackson sure to make a leap as a second-year player following a good rookie season.
The big question is at center, where the Vikings passed on signing the top free agent centers and then didn’t draft a center until taking Gavin Gerhardt in the seventh round. O’Connell apparently believes Blake Brandel can do the job as a run blocker, pass protector, and in making the line calls. He has 31 starts in his career but only a few at center last season in relief of Ryan Kelly. He seemed to do OK, and if he ups his game while the rest of the starting O-line stays healthy, the team should have one of the league’s best units.
In the critical backup tackle roles, the Vikings signed restricted free agent Ryan Van Demark and drafted Caleb Tiernan, a giant at 6-8, 323 pounds, in the third round. They should be a significant upgrade over last year’s backup tackles. Tiernan also is projected to be able to play guard in the NFL.
Joe Huber showed some promise last season as a backup guard. Gerhardt and Michael Jurgens will battle for the backup center job unless the Vikings add another center to the mix, which is a possibility if they’re not confident in Brandel or the backups (despite limited cap space, currently about $14 million under top 51 rules, and it’s possible much of that is being held for Harrison Smith if he returns).
Next Week: Looking at the defense and special teams in my training camp preview. Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year … More about Jeff Diamond
Quarterback Clarity Will Drive the Entire Summer
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Offensive Line
