5 questions we have for the Vikings ahead of an important offseason

All 32 NFL teams enter the same offseason with the same schedule of events. But the intrigue for each team differs wildly, and the Minnesota Vikings are entering this offseason with some important questions to answer.

On Jan. 30, the Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah less than one year removed from signing him to a multiyear extension. The firing came more than four weeks after the conclusion of the regular season, far removed from the “Black Monday” period when multiple other teams moved on from their head coaches and one other team – the Atlanta Falcons – fired its general manager.

Adofo-Mensah’s firing coincided instead with the Seattle Seahawks‘ – and former Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold’s – victory in the NFC championship game. Darnold, for a second straight season, had thrown for more than 4,000 yards and won 14 games as a starter in the regular season before leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl, which he and his new team eventually won.

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Meanwhile, in Minnesota, second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled to follow in Darnold’s footsteps and put together a middling de facto rookie season after losing his first year to a knee injury. The Vikings went 9-8 (6-4 in McCarthy starts as he missed seven more games with various injuries) and missed the playoffs.

The timing of Adofo-Mensah’s firing appeared reactionary, at least in part, to Darnold’s success and will impact the Vikings’ offseason by leaving them without a general manager in charge of making personnel decisions.

Minnesota has said it will start its process to hire a new GM after the 2026 NFL Draft in April. In the meantime, the team’s executive vice president of football operations, Rob Brzezinski, will lead the team’s efforts in free agency and the draft.

Here are the five biggest questions looming over Brzezinski, head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings as the offseason gets underway in earnest at the NFL combine this week:

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13.

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback #14 Sam Darnold celebrates his team’s victory over the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Feb. 8, 2026.

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald celebrates with quarterback Sam Darnold after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks walks off the field after winning Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium.

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts after winning Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8, 2026 in Santa Clara, Calif. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13.

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrates on the podium after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots 29-13 to win Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, Calif.

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi trophy on the podium after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

Sam Darnold #14 of the Seattle Seahawks embraces Brenden Schooler #41 of the New England Patriots after defeating the New England Patriots 29-13 to win Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.

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See Sam Darnold celebrate Seahawks win in Super Bowl 60

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and running back Kenneth Walker III (9) celebrate with the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.

How are the Vikings handling free agency and the draft?

In other words, which members of the Vikings’ personnel are making the big decisions on which players to target this offseason? How is Brzezinski handling his duties as something of an interim general manager?

The implicit question here is how much of a role O’Connell will have in making player personnel decisions. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported in late January that the Vikings’ head coach was against the former GM’s plan of riding with McCarthy and “journeyman backups.”

With Adofo-Mensah gone and the Vikings still without a permanent general manager, O’Connell will, in theory, play an even more significant role in offseason decision-making.

The Athletic has reported that while Brzezinski will lead the organization’s communication with agents and players, “O’Connell’s priorities will also factor prominently, and his coaching staff’s influence on free-agent signings and draft picks will be judged accordingly.”

First, the Vikings need to get to a point where they can sign free agents. As Minnesota enters a critical offseason without a permanent general manager, it will face some difficult decisions on how to get cap-compliant before the new league year (and free agency) begins.

How will the Vikings get under the salary cap?

The Vikings are 32nd in the NFL in cap room, with OverTheCap estimating that the NFC North team is $43 million over the estimated salary cap in 2026 as of Feb. 23. The next-closest team is the Cowboys, who are a projected $24.6 million over the cap.

How Brzezinski and O’Connell handle the cap situation in the coming weeks will be critical in determining where the Vikings stand at the start in free agency. Minnesota will likely need to part ways with several key players – tight end T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones are among cut candidates – just to get cap-compliant, and then the front office will need to get to work on replacing those players in the offseason.

That the Vikings are in such a dire salary cap situation in 2026 is a symptom of a lingering problem from the Adofo-Mensah era: Minnesota has struggled to build up its roster through the draft. Even with a quarterback on a rookie contract, the Vikings are more than $40 million over the projected salary cap because they’ve needed to lean on free agency to strengthen the roster.

Minnesota’s necessity to find cap space – whether it be via trades, releases or contract restructures – adds even more intrigue for a team that’s operating without a true general manager for the next couple of months. It’s the biggest test and question facing Brzezinski, O’Connell and the rest of the front office early on and will set early expectations for the Vikings’ 2026 outlook.

It doesn’t stop there though. Once the salary cap questions have been answered, there’s still a massive roster decision that will linger up until Week 1 of the 2026 season – and likely beyond.

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