{"id":780120,"date":"2026-02-27T15:22:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T15:22:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/780120\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T15:22:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T15:22:26","slug":"minnesota-vikings-news-and-links-the-combine-workouts-start-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/780120\/","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota Vikings News and Links: The Combine Workouts Start Today!"},"content":{"rendered":"

NFL Combine 2026: Schedule, TV channel, and how to watch workouts in Indianapolis<\/a>
Workout schedule
Thursday, February 26 (3 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET): Defensive linemen, linebackers, kickers
Friday, February 27 (3 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET): Defensive backs, tight ends
Saturday, February 28 (1 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET): Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs
Sunday, March 1 (1 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET): Offensive linemen<\/p>\n

Minnesota Vikings News and Links<\/p>\n

Minnesota Vikings are linked with explosive quarterback whom Kevin O\u2019Connell has long admired<\/a><\/p>\n

What better way to foster competition than to actually have one? The Indianapolis Colts have given quarterback Anthony Richardson permission to seek a trade. It\u2019s not a surprise when you consider Daniel Jones beat him for the starting quarterback job last August in training camp.<\/p>\n

Vikings Issue Blunt Response on JJ McCarthy\u2019s Future, QB Plans<\/a><\/p>\n

Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski offered a nine-word answer on McCarthy\u2019s future and the team\u2019s plans to add quarterback talent and depth to the position group this offseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re exploring every option that can be out there,\u201d Brzezinski said, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
\u2026
Vikings head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell also spoke about McCarthy during the team\u2019s media session Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was,\u201d O\u2019Connell said, referencing the summer of 2024 before McCarthy\u2019s initial knee injury and a couple months after the team drafted him with the No. 10 pick.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I have a responsibility \u2014 we have a responsibility collectively as we put together this team \u2014 to make sure that we use the data that we have at this time and the experiences we have,\u201d O\u2019Connell continued with regards to Minnesota making the best decision at QB.<\/p>\n

NFL Combine Buzz Suggests J.J. McCarthy May Already Be Out as Vikings\u2019 2026 Starter<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea of \u2018competitive room\u2019 means starting quarterback for 2026 is not on the team at the moment,\u201d Coller told Goessling on the Purple Insider podcast. \u201cThe money quote was when he said the timeline has changed. I thought, for a lot of people, not just KOC, people in the front office, and that guy who wears No. 18, it\u2019s a very pivotal year for him. Feels to me like someone else is the starting quarterback Week 1 other than J.J. McCarthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

For context, O\u2019Connell\u2019s \u201cmoney quote\u201d came when he was asked if he thinks McCarthy is still the franchise quarterback he thought he was a year ago at this time: \u201cA lot of those feelings are still the same,\u201d O\u2019Connell said. \u201cIt\u2019s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was at that point (in 2024).\u201d
\u2026
Goessling thinks McCarthy has to make huge strides to convince the Vikings that he deserves QB1.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it is J.J. McCarthy, he will have to have looked so drastically different that they will have changed their impressions of him. He does not have the benefit of the doubt anymore,\u201d Goessling told Coller.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if he gets that job back, it\u2019s because he comes back and says, \u2018All of your concerns, all of your questions about me, I have answered. Decision-making is good. I have shown I\u2019m a little bigger, I\u2019m a little more durable. I\u2019m more accurate. My mechanics are better.\u2019 All of those things that they were trying to get him to fix last year, that they eventually said, \u2018Let\u2019s just wait for this happen in the offseason,\u2019 he has to have that all fixed in a way that he can get the benefit of the doubt back on his side,\u201d Goessling continued.<\/p>\n

Sam Darnold understood Vikings\u2019 financial reality behind choosing J.J. McCarthy<\/a><\/p>\n

Discussing how it felt to be allowed to leave in free agency on The Herd, Sam Darnold told Colin Cowherd that he understood the financial aspect of the decision, even if it didn\u2019t feel great at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand how difficult it can be, and you have a lot of decisions that you have to make as a GM, as a head coach, and so for me personally, obviously I believe in myself, and I understand in my abilities, but at the same time I understand their thought process of going with the younger kid and especially JJ. I think JJ\u2019s very talented. He\u2019s super smart, and there\u2019s a lot of potential there. And I think JJ\u2019s going to be a really, really good player in this league,\u201d Darnold said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that allowed them to kind of not sign me to maybe a bigger deal and bring some veteran guys in. I think when I sat back and really digested, I guess, the information, that they didn\u2019t want me back, that was a little little bit of a tough pill to swallow, but when I really stood back and looked at it from afar, I really understood the decision and I really did, and I\u2019m thankful that I landed in Seattle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vikings rumors: Javon Hargrave has been discussed in trade talks<\/a><\/p>\n

The Viking have had trade talks with teams regarding two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.<\/p>\n

Hargrave played in 16 games last season and logged 52 total tackles, three-and-a-half sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He provided stability along Minnesota\u2019s defensive line alongside veterans Jonathan Allen and Jalen Redmond.<\/p>\n

Saints Should Be All Over Available Vikings Pro Bowler<\/a><\/p>\n

The New Orleans Saints have two big-time pass rushers under contract for the 2026 season in Chase Young and Carl Granderson.<\/p>\n

As of writing, Demario Davis and Cameron Jordan are both still up in the air for the 2026 season with the franchise because of the fact that they are both pending free agents. It\u2019s unclear if either will be back, which is why the Saints should give the Minnesota Vikings a call about two-time Pro Bowler Javon Hargrave. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Tuesday that the Vikings have had trade talks with teams about him.
\u2026
\u201cSources: The Vikings have had trade talks with teams regarding 2x Pro Bowl DT Javon Hargrave,\u201d Schultz wrote. \u201cHargrave started 15 games last year and had 3.5 sacks in his first season with Minnesota.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vikings discussing Javon Hargrave trade, and the Bengals should be interested<\/a><\/p>\n

Hargrave is exactly the kind of player the Bengals could use as they attempt to rebuild their defense this offseason. So far, draft picks Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson haven\u2019t exactly worked out, leaving B.J. Hill as the most reliable interior defensive lineman. If the Bengals are serious about fixing their defense, they should at least call Minnesota on Hargrave to see if they can make a deal happen.<\/p>\n

49ers reportedly expected to receive \u2018big offers\u2019 for potential Mac Jones trade<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAs any player on our team, including myself and John [Lynch], you always listen to people and trade offers, but we\u2019re also not into getting rid of good players,\u201d Shanahan told reporters at his end-of-season press conference in Santa Clara last month. \u201cSo, I\u2019d be very surprised if Mac wasn\u2019t around us next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tafur floated the idea of a price war for Jones, writing, \u201cThe bidding starts with a third-round pick \u2026 do we hear a second-round pick? Going once, going twice \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

And in a hypothetical 49ers-Vikings trade laid out by ESPN\u2019s Bill Barnwell last week, Minnesota received Jones and a 2027 third-round while sending a 2026 second-round pick, 2027 fifth-round pick (conditional) and 2028 third-round pick (conditional) to San Francisco.<\/p>\n

Should Vikings Look to Free Agency or Draft to Replace Aaron Jones?<\/a><\/p>\n

The argument for signing a free agent back \u2014 or perhaps keeping Jones on a restructured deal \u2014 is that a veteran might be a better fit for the Vikings\u2019 win-now roster in 2026. Rookies come with uncertainty, and Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s team may not have time to wait on development in a year where getting back to the playoffs is a must. Addressing RB in free agency also wouldn\u2019t box the Vikings into a scenario where they need to draft one early in April regardless of how the board unfolds. Instead, they could use their top-100 picks on positions of greater value.<\/p>\n

The downside to pursuing a starting-caliber running back in free agency is that it costs money. Javonte Williams just got a three-year, $24 million deal to stay with the Cowboys. The top two backs on the market \u2014 Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and Breece Hall \u2014 are likely going to command north of $10 million per year. The next tier of free agent backs \u2014 Travis Etienne, Rico Dowdle, and Rachaad White \u2014 will push to be in the Williams range. Walker and Hall are around 25 years old, but the other three are all 27 or 28, which is already around the time when RBs can begin to decline.<\/p>\n

J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings\u2019 quarterback pursuit and what we\u2019ve learned at the NFL combine<\/a><\/p>\n

Coach Kevin O\u2019Connell hadn\u2019t publicly discussed the subject in more than a month. That changed Tuesday. O\u2019Connell expressed confidence in McCarthy\u2019s trajectory. He acknowledged McCarthy\u2019s lack of availability because of injuries and how that has affected his development. He reiterated the importance of the need for competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about consistency,\u201d O\u2019Connell said of McCarthy, \u201cand inevitably, it\u2019s going to be about that competition being a catalyst for making up on some of that lost time.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a separate session with the media, Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski, who is acting as the interim general manager through the NFL Draft, described the team\u2019s pursuit as finding a baseline level of quarterback play. He and the team won\u2019t rule out any realistic possibilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to explore every opportunity,\u201d Brzezinski said, \u201cand I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything specifically we\u2019re looking for. We can\u2019t manufacture anything that\u2019s not there. No. 1, what are the options? Is it reciprocal? Is it financially doable? There are a lot of things that go into it.\u201d
\u2026
He noted that with the Vikings, specifically, you can sense how aggressively the fans yearn for a young quarterback who can become the face of the franchise. That, he believes, adds pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can be candid, I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s fair all of the time \u2014 the pressure and the criticism,\u201d he said. \u201cI can tell you that (McCarthy) is a fabulous person. He cares. He works really hard. He wants to be successful. And he wants to win. I can tell you, however J.J. McCarthy\u2019s career ends, he\u2019s going to maximize what\u2019s in that body and his potential. Part of it is going to be staying healthy.\u201d
\u2026
The Vikings\u2019 first order of business is smoothing out their salary-cap situation. The team is projected to be about $43 million in the red, according to Over the Cap.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople like to talk about the cap being a myth or whatever, and you\u2019re able to manipulate the cap,\u201d Brzezinski said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, the cap is a hard cap. Every dollar you spend is coming due. The last two years, we\u2019re almost $100 million in cash over cap. So, it just makes logical sense that the bill is coming due. We do have to navigate it and navigate it responsibly. But our goal is going to be to build around a core. Obviously, we have to make some hard decisions.\u201d
\u2026
\u201cI want to be a vertical, wide-zone team,\u201d O\u2019Connell said. \u201cI think the teams that do it right are still attacking, crossing the line of scrimmage, playing on the opponent\u2019s side of the line of scrimmage. These guys know how to do it. \u2026 They know things that, quite honestly, will help me a ton with where I think we need to get to from that aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Takeaways from Kevin O\u2019Connell & Rob Brzezinski Combine Media Sessions<\/a><\/p>\n

When O\u2019Connell and Adofo-Mensah spoke at their respective end-of-season press conferences in January, they mentioned a desire to make the QB room as competitive as possible with the goals of continuing to develop J.J. McCarthy and provide depth behind the player who started his first 10 career games in 2025 but has dealt with multiple injuries in his first two seasons.<\/p>\n

The expressed intent has remained the same as Minnesota gears up for the opening of free agency on March 11 and continues preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft (April 23-25).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe nature of true competition is I think we\u2019re going to try to evaluate all the options that we may have to enhance our quarterback room at the different levels of that, really looking at it from a standpoint of how do we how do we make sure we\u2019re elevating that position through the daily [process], every meeting, every walk-through, every practice, having a competitive environment where I think it\u2019s going to bring out the best of all those players.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connell noted the traits that McCarthy demonstrated in his first training camp before suffering a torn meniscus in Minnesota\u2019s 2024 preseason opener prompted \u201cpositive feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been some circumstances that have naturally hurt his chances of having a smooth development phase, but he still has shown a lot of the traits that we feel we can continue to build on,\u201d O\u2019Connell said. \u201cThe best way to build on those things is having a daily focus of consistency, of needing to be at your best for the other 10 guys in the huddle, and that\u2019s not to say be perfect, but that is to say daily growth and daily improvement that will inevitably help not only that player reach his ceiling, but our whole team improve because that position has such an impact on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brzezinski added: \u201cWe\u2019re focused on competition in that room like we are in every room.\u201d
\u2026
Regardless of the approach, Brzezinski said the team has a \u201cton of confidence\u201d in McCarthy.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been through a lot of adversity, and guess what? This is a really, really hard job with a lot of pressure,\u201d Brzezinski said. \u201cI think even in our organization and with our history, everybody\u2019s yearning for that young franchise quarterback, and if I can be candid, I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s fair all the time, the pressure and the criticism, because I can tell you, he is a fabulous person. He cares, he works really hard, he wants to be successful and he wants to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starting Point : 2026 Initial Deficit : -$43,200,000
Cuts
Aaron Jones & Ryan Kelly : +$16,097,647
\u2026
Trades
Javon Hargrave and a 2027 6th to Ravens for a 2026 5th : +$14,955,882
Pick 97 to the Saints for Derek Carr and their 2026 5th plus the Saints pay 20M of his cash due which is 50M
\u2026
Restructures
Justin Jefferson (Max) : +$17,581,250
Christian Darrisaw (Max) : +$8,440,050
Jonathan Greenard (Max) : +$12,731,250
\u2026
Redo\/Extensions : Cap cost
TJ Hockenson 2 yr 22M : +$9,361,176
Brian O\u2019Neill 3 yr 72M : +$13,311,765
Derek Carr 3 yr 75M : ($13,115,000)
Harrison Smith 1 yr 7.3M : ($1,500,000)
ERFA tender Bo Richter & Zavier Scott : ($136,044)
Jalen Redmond 3 yr 25.5M : ($1,670,000)
Ryan Wright 2 yr 6M : ($960,000)
Andrew Depaola 1 yr 1.8M : ($795,000)
\u2026
Signings : Cap Cost
DT Logan Hall 3 yr 24M : ($4,715,000)
CB Asante Samuel 2 yr 11M : ($3,615,000)
RB Michael Carter 2 yr 6M : ($1,330,000)
LB Micah Mcfadden 2 yr 6M : ($1,130,000)
LB Troy Andersen 1 yr 1.465M : ($576,667)
\u2026
Final 2026 Cap Space : $19,729,956
Final 2027 Cap Space : $2,251,541
Note: If the team cuts Allen and Metellus the 2027 Cap Space grows to $28,096,541
\u2026
Draft Picks for 2026
Round : Pick : Transaction Note
Round 1 : #18 : Original Pick
Round 2 : #49 : Original Pick
Round 3 : #82 : Original Pick
Round 5 : #148 : From NO (Carr Trade)
Round 5 : #160 : From Ravens (Hargrave Trade)
Round 5 : #161 : From PHI (Sam Howell Trade)
Round 6 : #194 : From IND (Blackmon Trade)
Round 7 : #234 : Original Pick
Round 7 : #240 : From HOU (Akers Trade)<\/p>\n

Trade Partner: Browns
Sent: 1.18
Received: 1.24, 3.70
\u2026
Trade Partner: Steelers
Sent: 2.49
Received: 2.53, 4.121
\u2026
Pick 24 – Dillon Thieneman S Oregon 6\u20190\u201d 205
Pick 53 – Elijah Sarratt WR Indiana 6\u20193\u201d 213
Pick 70 – Darrell Jackson Jr. DL Florida State 6\u20195\u201d 334
Pick 82 – Jake Slaughter IOL Florida Florida 6\u20195\u201d 303
Pick 121 – Nick Singleton RB Penn State 6\u20190\u201d 221
Pick 148 – Skyler Gill-Howard DL Texas Tech 6\u20191\u201d 290
Pick 160 – Jude Bowry OT Boston College 6\u20195\u201d 308
Pick 161 – Tacario Davis CB Washington 6\u20193\u201d 200
Pick 194 – Keyshaun Elliott LB Arizona State 6\u20192\u201d 235
Pick 234 – Riley Nowakowski TE Indiana 6\u20191\u201d 249
Pick 240 – Logan Fano EDGE Utah 6\u20195\u201d 260<\/p>\n

Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:<\/p>\n

While navigating the open thread, just assume it\u2019s sarcasm<\/p>\n

No discussion of politics or religion<\/p>\n

Leave the gender hatred at the door<\/p>\n

Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)<\/p>\n

Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags<\/p>\n

No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NFL Combine 2026: Schedule, TV channel, and how to watch workouts in IndianapolisWorkout scheduleThursday, February 26 (3 p.m.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":780121,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2073],"tags":[7,233,259,100098,2529,6,234],"class_list":{"0":"post-780120","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-minnesota-vikings","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-minnesota","10":"tag-minnesota-vikings","11":"tag-minnesota-vikings-2026-offseason","12":"tag-minnesotavikings","13":"tag-nfl","14":"tag-vikings"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116143284063368606","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/780120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=780120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/780120\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/780121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=780120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=780120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=780120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}