Darren Hails reviews the Vikings’ week from Thursday, 18 June to Wednesday, 24 June 2026. With training camp as the next big step, this edition focuses on which questions Minnesota can leave open for now and which ones should have answers before camp starts.

Late June is a weird time in the NFL. There’s not enough football to settle anything, but there’s just enough talk to make every small issue seem bigger than it really is.

I understand. Players are gone, coaches are taking a break, and fans keep reading the same quotes until they start to seem new. We’ve all been there. Show me one blurry practice video and I’ll start thinking the whole season has changed. It’s not my best habit, but it happens.

This week’s Vikings news wasn’t about any big headline. Instead, it seemed like a list of things the team needs to sort out before camp begins.

The quarterback competition is still undecided. Jordan Addison’s name came up in trade rumours. Ryan Grigson left for Cleveland. Brian O’Neill’s contract is still a big topic. People are talking about Jake Golday and Caleb Banks, but we need camp to see what they can really do. And yes, the third edge rusher question is still there. I’d like a new storyline too, but the roster isn’t giving us one yet.

So this isn’t another ‘quiet week’ article. We already did that last week, and there’s no point in pretending it’s something new.

Now is when the team needs to turn flexibility into a real plan.

When Does The QB Battle Stop Being Evaluation?

The Vikings haven’t named a starting quarterback, and I’m not going to pretend they have just because one report sounds warmer on Kyler Murray or another one keeps J.J. McCarthy in the conversation.

Murray still feels like the outside favourite. That’s hardly a brave take. He has the experience, the first-overall-pick talent, the rushing ability, and the kind of career reset story that’s very easy to picture if you want to be optimistic.

McCarthy isn’t out of it, though. He knows the offense better, he’s younger and cheaper, and he’s had enough positive spring reviews to keep the competition from becoming a complete procession. If you want the Vikings to think long term, there’s still a case for giving him every chance to win the job.

The real question isn’t who is ahead in June. It’s when Kevin O’Connell will stop evaluating and start getting the starter ready.

The Vikings’ own offseason-program takeaways framed the competition as intentional and still alive, while also making it clear that Murray and McCarthy are at different stages in the offense. That is fine in June. It gets harder in August.

Soon, the Week 1 starter will need most of the routine work. That means building timing with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, building trust with Jauan Jennings and T.J. Hockenson, and working on protection calls with Blake Brandel at center. These things aren’t flashy, but they usually decide if an offense is actually ready.

That’s the tough part for O’Connell. It’s one thing to keep the competition fair, and another to get the starter ready. For a while, he can do both, but not for long.

The joint practices with the Ravens on 19 and 20 August seem like the last reasonable checkpoint, though not the best one. If the Vikings are still splitting first-team reps evenly by then, they’ll have kept the competition going but given the winner less time to prepare. That would be a very Vikings move; everyone could claim they were right, but no one would feel great about it.

The Brendan Sorsby side quest has at least been parked after the NFL declined to hold a 2026 supplemental draft. I enjoyed that little hypothetical for about three minutes, which is probably the correct amount of time to enjoy a June quarterback tangent before putting it back in the drawer.

Murray versus McCarthy is still the main story. The other options only matter if there’s an injury, a trade offer, or something unexpected happens in camp.

Is The Addison Rumour Actually A Vikings Problem?

The Jordan Addison rumour did what June rumours always do. It gave people something to talk about, but the real football question is more important than the rumour itself.

Matthew Coller talked about it on Purple Insider after Jason La Canfora’s SI article mentioned Baltimore as a possible spot for Addison. That doesn’t mean the Vikings are trying to trade him or that there’s a real offer. It’s just something to discuss.

The real question is: would trading Addison actually make the 2026 Vikings better?

I don’t think it does.

Addison isn’t a complication-free player. We know that. The off-field concerns are part of the wider conversation. His 2025 season had uneven stretches, and his next contract sits in the same future pile as O’Neill, Andrew Van Ginkel, Murray, Jennings and a few other decisions Nolan Teasley won’t be able to avoid forever.

The Vikings have added Jennings, drafted Tai Felton, and watched Dillon Bell impress in spring. I get why people think the receiver group might be a spot to look for value.

But there’s a difference between looking for value and creating a new problem you just spent the offseason trying to fix.

If Murray is the starter, do you really want his first year to begin with Jefferson, Jennings, Hockenson, a few young receivers, and a lot of “promise”? If McCarthy wins, do you want to take away the WR2 who’s already proven to have a rapport with him? Jennings is a good addition, but he wasn’t signed so the Vikings could make the receiver group weaker right away.

Everyone has a price, of course. If a team offers something crazy, you have to listen. I’m not sentimental about it. A first-round pick would make everyone pause, and for good reason.

But trading Addison in late June or early camp would probably make the 2026 offense weaker, add pressure to the quarterback situation, and make things tougher for Jefferson. That’s a lot of trouble just to win an argument about asset management.

The simple view is that 2026 is a prove-it year for Addison. If he plays well and stays healthy, the next contract talk gets easier. If he struggles again, then the conversation changes. For now, the best Vikings offense includes both Jefferson and Addison.

Sometimes, common sense can survive a rumour cycle. I checked.

What Does Grigson Leaving Tell Us About Teasley?

Ryan Grigson leaving for Cleveland could easily turn into a story where everyone just repeats their old opinions about him. But that misses the real point.

According to The Athletic, Grigson had an opportunity to stay in Minnesota in a different role but chose to return to the Browns as a senior football adviser. However you felt about his time with the Vikings, another senior figure from the previous setup has now moved on.

That makes Teasley’s front office feel more permanent.

Last week, we talked about Andrew Healy, Trent Kirchner, Ryan Pace, and Azzaam Kapadia helping shape the new personnel group. Grigson leaving makes that even clearer. Teasley isn’t just taking over a department; he’s changing it.

What I keep wondering is whether all these people fit together in a way that actually helps the team make better decisions.

Healy gives the analytics side a practical face. That only works if the information can be translated into football language that scouts, coaches, and decision-makers can trust. Kirchner brings traditional personnel experience and a Seattle link Teasley clearly values. Pace has sat in the big chair before, made the calls, and dealt with the bruises that come with them. Kapadia adds another younger pro-scouting voice. Rob Brzezinski still matters because contracts and cap planning don’t stop being real just because a new general manager has arrived.

That mix could work, but it could also get messy if everyone is responsible for everything.

Now Teasley has to move from building structure to making good decisions. The Vikings don’t need the best-looking org chart in the NFC North. They need better draft results, smarter veteran signings, and a front office that can stop itself before a bad idea gets costly.

Grigson leaving isn’t the whole story. It’s just another sign that Teasley’s approach is taking over. That’s good, but now it has to show results.

Why O’Neill Feels Like The Sensible Extension

Brian O’Neill’s contract isn’t the biggest headline this week, which might be why it feels so important.

The Vikings are working on the quarterback competition, fixing the run game, getting Christian Darrisaw healthy, moving Brandel to center, and trying to avoid last year’s offensive line problems. So heading into camp without a clear O’Neill plan would feel strange.

Recent talk about O’Neill’s future, including The Viking Age’s follow-up, shows the obvious tension. O’Neill is still a good player, respected in the building, and valued by O’Connell. He plays a key position. But he turns 31 in September, has had lower-body injuries, and any extension has to fit with a lot of 2027 decisions.

That’s the tough, grown-up part.

You can’t just say ‘pay the good player’ and ignore everything else. But you also can’t claim you want to help your quarterback while acting like right tackle isn’t important.

If Caleb Tiernan is a future tackle, that’s great; let him develop. If Ryan Van Demark is good depth, even better. But neither should be a reason to take risks with one of the team’s proven offensive leaders.

O’Neill doesn’t need a contract based on sentiment. He needs a smart deal; one which appreciates his value, protects the Vikings from age-related decline, and keeps the offensive line from becoming another problem before Week 1.

That kind of move won’t make headlines like a quarterback announcement. It might not even give us a fun thumbnail. But if Teasley’s first big decision is keeping the right tackle spot solid while the rest of the offense settles in, I’ll handle it just fine.

Very mature of me. Not something you lot expect, I know!

What Are Golday And Banks Being Asked To Prove?

One thing I liked this week was seeing Jake Golday and Caleb Banks discussed in more detail.

It wasn’t just the usual ‘rookie good’ or ‘rookie risky’ talk you get in the offseason. They’re different players with different things to prove.

Golday is interesting because he doesn’t fit one easy label. He can rush, play off the ball, drop, blitz from depth, and handle enough space to make sense in a Brian Flores defense. The Van Ginkel comparisons are tempting because both players can do more than one thing, and tidy comparisons are catnip for NFL analysts and reporters, but Golday doesn’t need to become Van Ginkel by September to help this team.

His first job might be simpler: play special teams, give Flores a flexible linebacker, create pressure, and make offenses pay attention to him, without the Vikings forcing him into one role too soon.

Jeff Diamond’s training camp watch list suggested Golday might need to help more at edge since the Vikings are thin behind Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner. I get the reasoning because the roster suggests it. I just hope they don’t try to solve a problem by forcing a young player into a role that doesn’t suit him.

Banks is almost the opposite. His role is clear, but how quickly he can get up to speed is the question.

Banks is more than merely a big body. The Vikings drafted him because they believe he can be an aggressive interior defender, beat guards, move along the line, and give Flores the kind of inside disruption that changes protections. O’Connell is encouraged about his camp readiness, which is good. Now we need to see him in pads after his foot issue limited him in spring.

If Banks is ready early, the defensive front looks much healthier. Jalen Redmond, Domonique Orange, Levi Drake Rodriguez and the rest of the group all make more sense if Banks can be the disruptive rookie rather than the expensive player on a careful schedule.

If Golday finds his role and Banks develops well, the Vikings have more solutions than just signing a veteran edge rusher. If not, Teasley will be making calls soon, and this time, it probably won’t be for a fun hypothetical.

Is There A Third Edge On This Roster?

I acknowledge that we discussed edge depth last week. Honestly, I’d love a new topic, maybe a dramatic punter story or a fullback debate nobody wants. Just something different.

But the edge rusher question is still here.

Van Ginkel and Turner are the top two edge rushers. After that, it’s about internal options, special teams value, hybrid players, and a list of veteran names the internet keeps linking to the Vikings, Haason Reddick, Za’Darius Smith, Jadeveon Clowney, Kyle Van Noy, take your pick. Some are more likely than others, but none are on the team right now.

The team says replacing Jonathan Greenard will be a group effort, and that’s probably true. Flores can create pressure with creative schemes. Turner can improve. Van Ginkel can do his thing. Golday can help from different spots. Ingram-Dawkins can keep trying the heavy-edge role. Banks and Redmond can push the pocket from inside.

All of that might be true, but the roster could still be missing one proven pass rusher.

Camp should show the Vikings whether they need to sign a veteran now or can wait for late-summer cuts. That’s a big difference. Signing someone now gives him time to learn the defense but might push out a young player before coaches have seen enough. Waiting gives the current group a fair shot, but the market could dry up or an injury could make the need obvious to everyone.

This is where Teasley earns his money. Not by winning a press conference but by deciding whether the current group is genuinely enough, or whether the team is talking itself into a cheaper answer because it wants the Greenard trade to look tidy.

I don’t think the Vikings need a big-name player. But they do need a third edge rusher they can trust if Turner or Van Ginkel miss time.

Right now, I’m not sure they have that. Camp will give us the answer.

What I Am Taking Into July

The Vikings now have a month where not much will happen, and every little thing will seem bigger than it is. That’s normal for summer. We’ve all seen less important things get over-analysed. I once thought a preseason third-down package was a big deal, so I’m not judging anyone.

The July to-do list is pretty clear.

O’Connell needs to decide when the quarterback competition turns into getting the starter ready. Teasley has to figure out if edge depth is a camp battle or a cause to look for a veteran. Addison should stay unless a trade offer changes everything. O’Neill’s extension is one of the best ways to help either quarterback. Banks and Golday need real roles in camp, not just praise in June. Harrison Smith is still a factor at safety, but the Vikings can’t let that slow down the growth of Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, and Jakobe Thomas.

That’s a lot to handle, maybe too much for a team trying to prove it can be one of the NFC’s underrated contenders.

Maybe that’s just where the Vikings are right now. They’re talented enough to be interesting, but have enough questions to be frustrating. They have a trusted coach, a new general manager making changes, a defense led by Flores, and an offense with enough weapons that the quarterback can’t hide.

This could turn into a very good football team, or just a long list of things they waited too long to fix.

Training camp will start turning guesses into real answers. Until then, I’ll try to enjoy the quiet, without pretending it means everything is settled.