Are the 6-0 Minnesota Vikings tricking us all, or are they about to treat us to a truly special season?

So far, the team’s dominant defense and impactful special teams have carried an offense that often looks like a zombified version of its former glory. Is it sustainable? We’ll have to see. But some offseason choices certainly haven’t helped to quiet the “boos."

Let's dive into three offseason choices that may make a deep playoff run a ghoulish task for the 2026 Vikings. 

1. The general manager void

The 2026 offseason was never going to be a normal one for the Minnesota Vikings. Just one day after I said hello to former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah at Senior Bowl practices in Alabama, he was fired. Shockingly, it is not common for an NFL GM to be fired in late January, weeks after their season has already ended.

What is even weirder is waiting until a month after the NFL Draft to hire a replacement. 

The team eventually hired former Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley, one of the most respected available candidates and a key member of a Super Bowl champion staff. But it was the four months between the two GMs’ tenures that may ultimately be this team’s undoing. Long-time front office staple and current executive vice president Rob Brzezinski stepped into the interim GM role for free agency and the draft, but it's impossible to know how his actions ultimately line up with Teasley’s long-term vision for the team. 

By starting and ending the GM process when they did, ownership created the possibility of a philosophical gap between what Brzezinski constructed and what Teasley needs going forward. Everything that happened this past offseason is framed by the unorthodox GM hiring process that eventually led us here. 

Now, Teasley must rely on the upcoming trade deadline to make his first real mark on this roster.

2. Ghost of QBs past

With nearly free rein on roster decisions and multiple system fits available on the market, it seemed head coach Kevin O’Connell was poised to bring in the perfect quarterback to compete with J.J. McCarthy this past offseason. Former Viking Kirk Cousins was one name that stood out in particular, with his comfort and familiarity in O’Connell’s offense potentially a massive selling point. Instead, O’Connell and Brzezinski took a swing on Kyler Murray after his release from the Cardinals, a fit that surprised many.

Murray’s athleticism and $1.3 million price tag made him an undeniably appealing option, but through six games, it seems that the fit may just not be there for O'Connell's pocket- passing preferences. Murray hasn’t been bad whatsoever, and he deserves credit for avoiding turnovers, but it’s clear that each game so far has been a struggle for him and O’Connell to get on the same page.

It certainly doesn’t help that McCarthy has looked much improved since being traded to the Giants in Week 4 and taking over as their starter. With an endless list of QB tombstones throughout franchise history, Murray and O’Connell will need a statement performance on Halloween weekend to avoid another doomed partnership. 

3. Draft day nightmares 

Adofo-Mensah’s firing stemmed largely from two factors: his failures on draft day and his decision-making with the quarterback position.

Fans and ownership hoped that Brzezinski, O’Connell and Flores would be able to use April’s draft to undo the haunting decisions of the past four years. So far, we’ve yet to see any signs that they were successful.

First-round pick Caleb Banks was always going to be a project. The former Gator defensive lineman broke his left foot twice in the last two years, most recently during last year’s NFL combine. Banks has shown some flashes but looks incredibly raw as he continues to learn proper form and pad level. Second-round linebacker Jake Golday has only played 16 defensive snaps through six games, per Pro-Football-Reference.

Third-round defensive tackle Domonique Orange became a fan favorite during camp and preseason games, but hasn’t quite hit his stride. Third-round safety Jakobe Thomas out of Miami has been inactive for every game so far this season. Fifth-round corner and training-camp star Charles “Chuck” Demmings has played only two defensive snaps. Sixth-round running back Demond Claiborne’s blazing speed has not been enough to overcome his poor vision and butter fingers as a ball carrier. 

Needless to say, this rookie class has been frighteningly inconsistent so far. Luckily, fullback Max Bredeson has seemed right at home blocking in the backfield.

There's time for the group to get on track, but it's fair to have some fears in the meantime.

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