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Is The Vikings’ Front Office Seeing the Phone Ring Off the Hook?

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Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell in the foreground and defensive coordinator Brian Flores in the background.
Aug 22, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on against the Tennessee Titan during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah used to say that his phone was always charged. Is the same true of Nolan Teasley?

Presumably, the Vikings’ front office is in the process of listening and pitching. Smart teams are rewarded when they’re curious and open for business. Every so often, a good opportunity arises and the team decides to take the plunge. Maybe that means a swap gets pulled off at some point in the coming days. The Vikings must be having at least some discussion behind the scenes.

The Vikings’ Front Office & The Trade Trend Around the NFL

Pulling up the NFL’s transaction page and then toggling for trades means seeing several get across the finish line already:

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  • Caedan Wallace (NE/MIA)
  • Daniel Faalele (NYG/JAX)
  • Jaylen Reed (HOU/NE)
  • Kayshon Boutte (NE/HOU)
  • Deion Jones (NO/SF)
  • Zamir White (SF/NO)
  • Joshua Ezeuda (NYG/KC)
  • Jarquez Hunter (LAR/MIA)
  • Tutu Atwell (MIA/LAR)

None of the above names are game-breaking stars in the NFL. However, the point is that teams are already getting ahead of the sticks as it relates to player movement. Sometimes, that has involved setting guys free, such as the Colts showing Mekhi Blackmon the door with a cut.

Breakout Player
Nov 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (5) celebrates his interception against the New Orleans Saints in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

A couple days ago, Kevin Patra chatted about the roster movement that’s coming.

“With clubs going from 90-man rosters to an initial 53-man crew, roughly 1,184 players will lose their jobs before Sunday’s cut-down deadline,” Patra explains. “Yes, each team will bring back players to the practice squad, and others will be re-signed over the next few weeks as IR spots are used. However, for a large chunk of players, this is the end of the line in 2026.”

Continuing to move through the piece means seeing some teams with a player(s) included into the speculation, such as J.J. McCarthy for the Vikings.

Consider that the Raiders have Aidan O’Connell included: “AOC should be a trade target for a team in need of a backup QB with starting experience. With no direct path to playing time with the additions of veteran Kirk Cousins and No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza, O’Connell’s time in Vegas should be coming to a close.” Do the Vikings need to upgrade at QB3?

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Or, perhaps, does the Anthony Richardson swap finally occur? What about Chicago moving off of Garrett Bradbury after the addition of Logan Jones in the 2026 NFL Draft?

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy in Week 15 of 2025
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) runs for a touchdown during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.

The Vikings’ end of things could involve some mixture of buying and selling.

Offloading Jonathan Greenard means having an extra 3rd for next year. Better yet, there’s likely going to be a compensatory pick added due to the loss of Jalen Nailor. There’s then a pile of free agents moving into the final year on their deals in Minnesota, meaning 2028 looks like a strong bet for some added compensatory help.

Tossing some added talent into the edge rusher crew and/or the center spot could make a lot of sense. Maybe another arm gets added and the run game could still get tweaked. What about safety?

According to Over the Cap, the Vikings are sitting atop roughly $22 million in cap space. Partner that open room with a reasonably rotund helping of draft picks and there are going to be some options, especially since some players on the rostrer could reasonably attract attention on the trade market.

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Does the emergence of Jacob Roberts and Bangally Kamara make a LB trade possible? The Vikings could bump up one of those guys while offloading somebody higher on the depth chart.

Mackensie Alexander bends down to pick up his helmet on the sideline before a Vikings game against the Bears.
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mackensie Alexander bends down to retrieve his helmet before kickoff against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 29, 2019, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Alexander prepared alongside teammates ahead of the NFC North matchup as Minnesota closed the regular season with a divisional contest against Chicago at home. Mandatory Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports.

Many can quibble with the wisdom of trying to compete in 2026 rather than rebuilding, but the Vikings aren’t throwing in the towel. Instead, the plan is to get into the playoffs and make noise once there. All that needs to be determined is whether the team is actually good enough to achieve those goals.

The Vikings’ front office has a lot of work to do in the coming days. Quite possibly, that work will lead to a trade(s) getting across the finish line.


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Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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Tony Bellew makes knockout prediction for Usyk vs Deontay Wilder: “He’ll stop him early”

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Oleksandr Usyk could take on Deontay Wilder in a career finale, and former WBC cruiserweight world champion and opponent of Usyk’s, Tony Bellew, has cast his verdict on that proposed clash.

Usyk fought Bellew in his final outing as a cruiserweight, defending the undisputed title before moving up to the heavyweight division, where he later joined Evander Holyfield by becoming the second fighter to capture the undisputed throne in both divisions.

Last time out, despite defeating Rico Verhoeven, Usyk wasn’t at his scintillating best, as he showed that he is indeed human and that Father Time may well have finally caught up with him.

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As a result, the 39-year-old then made the decision to vacate all three of his remaining heavyweight titles and to partake in one final fight, with Deontay Wilder one of his targeted opponents.

Speaking on the Fight Your Corner Podcast, Bellew admitted that he would prefer to see Usyk hang up the gloves than face ‘The Bronze Bomber’, but still fancied the Ukrainian to get the job done early.

“He can do what he wants, he has beat everyone in their backyards, he has done the job and beat everybody, so I understand it.

“Do I want to see it? If I am being realistic, I want to see him walk away but ultimately, I will watch it, but he stops Wilder inside three or four rounds.”

Usyk vs Wilder could take place in either December or early 2027, with Usyk set to return to fight in the United States for the first time since his heavyweight debut – against Chazz Witherspoon in 2019 – for the final outing of his extraordinary career.

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“He got taste” – Fans delighted as ENHYPEN’s Sunoo adds Jennie’s Less Than a Lover to his song recommendations

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ENHYPEN’s Sunoo drew attention from fans after including BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s solo track Less Than a Lover in his latest song recommendations. Sunoo made the recommendation as part of ENHYPEN’s curated playlist feature with Weverse Magazine.

The group participated in the interview to promote their newly released album THE SIN: BLISS, with the feature published on August 26, 2026. Less Than a Lover was released on July 24, 2026, as the lead single from Jennie’s upcoming first extended play, Fallen Angel.

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Sunoo’s inclusion of the track in his personal recommendations created an unexpected link between both idols, making fans on social media pleased. As discussions about the recommendation circulated online, fans of both ENHYPEN and Jennie expressed surprise and delight at Sunoo’s music choice. The recommendation also sparked appreciation for Sunoo’s musical preferences, with one fan writing,

“He got taste.”

Fans praised Sunoo’s choice, saying the song perfectly matches his vibe and calling his recommendation another example of his consistently good taste.

he HAS taste by including thee best song of 2026 by the best soloist ever in history

I mean , its his vibe😼 ! I’m not even surprised

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Sunoo always have taste so it’s no surprise 🫶🏻✨💓

Others used the recommendation to call for a Jennie and Sunoo collaboration, with fans eagerly hoping to see the two artists work together.

Let’s make that Kim collab possible 🤭 #SUNOO #JENNIE

ok can i get a collab next

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sunoo recommending jennie just confirms what we already knew about his main character energy


More about ENHYPEN’s Sunoo recommending Jennie’s Less Than a Lover as group continues BLOOD SAGA World Tour

Less Than a Lover is a softer alternative-pop ballad that takes an introspective approach to romance. Jennie co-wrote the track with Tyler Spry, Cashmere Cat, Deborah Jung, Bibi Bourelly and Jelli Dorman, while Spry and Cashmere Cat were responsible for its production. The song combines restrained vocals with lo-fi guitar, vintage electric keyboards and dreamy, laid-back instrumentation.

Jennie was also closely involved in the track’s creative process, contributing to its lyrics and musical production as well as directing its music video. The song focuses on the uncertainty of a casual, seasonal romance that exists somewhere between friendship and a committed relationship.

Meanwhile, ENHYPEN recently released its eighth mini album, THE SIN : BLISS, marking the group’s first comeback since the start of its BLOOD SAGA World Tour. The release had generated considerable anticipation among fans and is ENHYPEN’s first album following Heeseung’s departure from the group.

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The members are also continuing their BLOOD SAGA World Tour, which began with three consecutive Seoul concerts from May 1 to 3. The tour subsequently expanded to international destinations, with the group performing across multiple cities in Asia, the United States and Latin America.

ENHYPEN most recently performed two consecutive shows at Busan’s Sajik Arena on August 8 and 9. The tour has now entered a temporary break scheduled to continue through September.

The group is set to return to the stage on October 16, beginning a three-night run at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. The Macau leg will continue on October 17 and 18.

After the three performances in Macau, ENHYPEN will proceed with further dates across Asia and Europe. The BLOOD SAGA World Tour is expected to continue throughout the rest of 2026 and conclude in early 2027.

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