Regular season football is nearly back! After a long eight months, the Vikings will host the Packers in the afternoon slot on Sept. 13. The path that's led here has been a wild one, to say the least. Firing your general manager weeks after the season ended, seeing your ex-quarterback win the Lombardi Trophy, officially hiring your next GM at the end of May, a QB battle between former top-ten picks, and more.

The craziest part? This Vikings team still has questions to answer. 

After weeks of training camp and two-thirds of the preseason games knocked out, we’ve started to see much of the team’s vision for 2026 take shape, but some unknowns could still significantly affect where things go this season.

With one preseason game, roster cuts, and two weeks of prep remaining, here’s what the Vikings still need to figure out. 

4. Can the young defenders step up?

The Vikings wasted no time making their intentions known this offseason; they were going to find younger defenders with higher upside wherever they could. The team released defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave on March 11, just a year after adding the duo in an attempt to shore up their defensive front.

Needless to say, it didn’t work. 

The Vikings addressed the DL aggressively in April, drafting Caleb Banks with the 18th pick and Domonique Orange with the 82nd. Banks is explosive but raw after missing significant time due to repeated foot issues, while Orange has already impressed in camp and preseason. 

The team also traded away OLB Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles in April.

Rumors and speculation about a deal circulated throughout the spring, but it was ultimately completed during draft weekend, netting the Vikings third-round picks in 2026 and 2027.  Third-year OLB Dallas Turner would be the next man up to replace the departing Greenard.

While the 23-year-old has shown flashes, this will be his first real chance to put it all together through a full season and show why the Vikings were so aggressive in pursuing him in the 2024 draft. 

Fellow rookies LB Jake Golday and CB Chuck Demmings, along with first-year safeties Jakobe and Jacob Thomas, will also be heavily relied on throughout the year. 

3. Is the revamped run game a talking point or a true philosophy change? 

The Vikings have spent much of the spring and summer emphasizing a renewed emphasis on the run game thanks to assistant HC Frank Smith. Smith brings an outside scheme that previously led to explosive results with De'Von Achane in Miami. 

While Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason aren’t exactly as young or explosive as Achane in their current forms, they both seem reinvigorated by a newfound focus on expanding their roles in the offense. Both backs had explosive moments in camp, bursting around the edge and breaking off long runs. The worry?

Will KOC rely on them when the pressure is on, or will he resort to past habits? 

This year isn't the first time the team has made running the ball a talking point After a brutal playoff loss that ended the 2024 season, the team set out to revamp its interior OL and acquired Mason via trade. Still, there were many times O’Connell preferred a deep pass attempt over what seemed like a simple run, even in third-and-short situations. 2026 will truly test his willingness to balance the offense. 

2. Is the team actually comfortable with the current center situation? 

The Vikings’ non-traditional approach at center is coming down to the wire, and the results still leave much to be desired. After a shaky performance through camp, Blake Brandel once again had a low snap to Kyler Murray on Tuesday, according to Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune. 

Brandel is in an odd situation, having never even played the position before moving into the spot mid-2025 after injuries to Ryan Kelly and Michael Jurgens. He has showcased immense value as a rotational guard and tackle throughout his career, but center seems to be a challenge. To be frank, expecting a different result seems unfair to Brandel. 

The reality is the team took a risk on a non-traditional approach, and so far, it isn’t working well. Brandel's backups, Jurgens and rookie Gavin Gerhardt, haven’t proven to be any more reliable, mainly struggling in pass protection. If GM Nolan Teasley wants to find a new starter this late in the game, it will likely take a trade that won't come cheap. 

1. Will O’Connell and Murray’s marriage work?

This right here may be the biggest indicator of success for the 2026 Vikings. It's no secret that O’Connell is one of the most respected offensive minds in the league, while Murray brings an incredibly unique skill set to the field. But will it mix? 

So far, things seem promising, as O’Connell has mixed in a significant amount of shotgun work through camp, providing familiarity for Murray.

Murray, to his credit, has limited his scrambles through camp and has focused on staying in the pocket, giving his receivers time to get open. He also has shown a willingness to take the less-than-perfect throws that O’Connell has historically asked his QBs to make. 

What will happen when the pressure is on against a hated rival to open the regular season? Will O'Connell return to his traditional play calls? Will Murray start scrambling before plays can properly develop?  We’ll have to see, but if O’Connell’s adjustments are in fact permanent, this partnership has truly explosive potential. 

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