New Theory Identifies Weakest Link for Vikings

Because the Minnesota Vikings don’t have a singular announced quarterback for 2026, they don’t have total stability at the position — or so goes the theory, according to NFL writer Steve Silverman.

Silverman outlined how the Vikings’ quarterback position is suspect heading into 2026, comparing Minnesota to its division peers, the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears, who have exactly zero questions at quarterback.

Silverman Says Minnesota’s Ceiling Rests on QB1

Silverman: It’s Quarterback Trouble for Vikings

Silverman explained his theory this week, “The other three teams in the NFC North know who their starting quarterbacks will be but the Vikings don’t. The Chicago Bears found their quarterback a year ago when Caleb Williams came through in his second season led the team to the division title.”

“The Packers are secure in knowing Jordan Love is coming off an excellent season in which he had a 23-6 TD-interception ratio and led his team to the playoffs again. The Lions have Jared Goff under center as that team attempts to regain its stature after a disappointing 2025 season.”

Most Vikings are thrilled that the team stumbled upon Kyler Murray for $1.3 million in free agency and aren’t deathly afraid of quarterback optionality.

Silverman concluded, “That’s a problem that the Vikings will have to overcome, and it could turn out to be a season-long weak link. The ideal situation would have Murray asserting himself and demonstrating his excellence from Day 1. The locker room will be at risk if the Vikings struggle at the start.”

Maybe … Murray Will Just Be Good?

There’s just one problem with Silverman’s theory: the Vikings may not have quarterback instability. While the mystery over who will prevail at quarterback exists this summer, Murray could show up in Week 1 and look the part. After all, he’s a -770 favorite per sportsbooks to win the job from J.J. McCarthy at training camp.

The plan is not for the Vikings to debate the starting quarterback each week in September, October, November, and beyond. It’s to pick a winner this summer and start that man for the entire 2026 regular season.

Silverman’s argument will be useless if Murray thrives as the Vikings’ QB1. Nobody will care that he won the job in a training camp battle. Remember when Daniel Jones won the QB1 job in Indianapolis last season? No Colts fans debated weekly whether Anthony Richardson or Jones would start.

Murray can win the Vikings’ QB1 job and make it his own.

The Sam Darnold Example — and Mistake

There’s also precedent for this. Two years ago, Minnesota signed Darnold to pair with McCarthy, then a rookie, and after McCarthy tore his meniscus in the preseason, Darnold fully assumed QB1 duty. How did he respond? He threw for 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, with 4,319 passing yards, before collapsing in the season’s final two games.

Because Minnesota had McCarthy ready and waiting, the Vikings let Darnold leave in free agency, allowing the Seattle Seahawks to sign him and go on to win a Super Bowl 11 months later. If Darnold could put together a remarkable season in Minnesota, Murray can too.

There’s also the Baker Mayfield example. In 2023, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a flyer on him in free agency, signing him cheaply to see if he had QB1 juice left in the tank. He did — and now he’s the Buccaneers’ established starter.

Neither of these examples is far-fetched for Murray.

Good News: The Rest of the Roster Is Sweet

Pretend that Silverman is on to something, and a quarterback competition equals vertigo at the position, unlike Minnesota’s NFC North peers. It won’t mean the Vikings are cooked.

Brian Flores’s defense remains formidable, ranking third in the league last year per DVOA and EPA/Play. The group welcomed newcomers like Caleb Banks, Domonique Orange, Jake Golday, and James Pierre this offseason, while losing Jonathan Greenard via trade. With Flores in charge, the defense should remain a force.

Offensively, Murray — or McCarthy if he pulls off the upset — will have weapons galore, including Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T. J. Hockenson, Jordan Mason, and Aaron Jones. An offensive line of Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Blake Brandel, Will Fries, and Brian O’Neill should also have the personnel to rank in the NFL’s Top 15.

Meanwhile, the Vikings employ an All-Pro kicker in Will Reichard. And that’s all on top of a head coach whose winning percentage ranks fifth-best in the NFL since he came aboard in 2022.

Silverman delivers a fair point, but it won’t matter if Murray wins the QB1 job and establishes himself right away in September.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker