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Although all the focus on the Minnesota Vikings tends to be around their QB situation, other aspects of the team need improving this offseason. One of them is the running back position, as the Vikings didn’t have anyone rush for over 1,000 yards.
Moreover, Minnesota doesn’t have that RB1 workhorse who would help take the pressure off J.J. McCarthy or whoever the Vikings decide will be the starting QB in 2026. As a result, Minnesota is being seen as a potential landing spot for Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III, who is currently facing uncertainty with the Seattle Seahawks.
Walker can hit the open market in a couple of weeks, and CBS Sports’ Robert Turbin sees Minnesota as a potential landing spot for him.
“Aaron Jones has been one of my favorite running backs for a long time in the league, but the truth of the matter is he’s getting long in the tooth, and so it may be time for the Vikings to move off of him,” Turbin said during a Feb. 17 appearance on CBS Sports HQ.
“Jordan Mason, with his downhill, physical running style, is another player you can pair with Kenneth Walker III. Jordan Mason is not going to give you those explosive runs.
“If J.J. McCarthy is going to be your starting quarterback next season, you need balance, dominance, and explosive play ability in your ground game. Kenneth Walker III brings that capability to the run scheme, which is why I think he’s a good fit for the Minnesota Vikings.”
Furthermore, ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Feb. 17, citing league sources, that unlikely to use either a franchise or transition tag on Walker.
Insider Gives Latest on Vikings QB Situation
As for who will be under center to potentially have a ground game that could feature Walker, that remains to be seen. McCarthy will be back, but it appears Minnesota will bring in a QB to challenge the young signal caller. In recent days, the speculation that’s picking up the most steam is Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray.
During a Feb. 16 appearance on “The Herd,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shared the latest on Murray and mentioned Minnesota as a landing spot for him.
“Does somebody look at [Murray] and say, ‘Yeah, I can get more out of him’? You know who did a really good job of that the last couple of years? It was the Minnesota Vikings,” Breer said.
“The Minnesota Vikings brought in Sam Darnold, got a great year out of him, brought in Daniel Jones, and just by having him there as a backup gave him a little bit of a chance to reset at the end of the 2024 season. They had good enough experience with both those guys. They tried to bring each one of them back as insurance against J.J. McCarthy. So when I look at Kyler, it would be a landing spot like that.”
Minnesota Could Be a Landing Spot for Kyler Murray
Moreover, Breer expects the Cardinals to cut Murray and emphasizes the Vikings again, then mentions the New York Jets as a landing spot for him this offseason.
“I think it probably makes it more likely that Arizona just flat‑out has to move off of him, cut him, and let him go to the market,” Breer added. “I think he will find a place that will view him as that reclamation project. Maybe it’s Minnesota, maybe it’s the Jets. We’ll see.
“But I think the contract situation makes it a little harder for the Cardinals to hang on to him and a little harder for the Cardinals to trade him, which makes it more likely that they’ll cut him.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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