The Vikings’ incredible 2024 season came to a screeching halt in the first round of the playoffs on Monday night. A team that won 14 games went 0-4 against the Lions and Rams, with the two most recent losses sending the franchise into an earlier-than-expected start to a critical offseason. As the Vikings prepare to regroup and build towards championship contention, here’s our list of their top five orders of business in the coming months.
First and foremost, the Vikings need to make sure O’Connell remains their head coach for a long time. Yes, he got out-coached in the loss to the Rams. Yes, he’s 0-2 in the playoffs, which is currently a stain on his resume. But he’s also 34-17 in the regular season since being hired by Minnesota. Winning two-thirds of your games over a three-year sample is hard to do in the NFL, and it’s more impressive when you consider O’Connell did it without the luxury of an established top-tier quarterback.
Even after one of the worst games of his tenure, it’s abundantly clear to me that O’Connell is among the best head coaches in the league. He’s a fantastic leader of men who is outstanding at getting the most out of his QB, which makes him the ideal person to lead the Vikings into the J.J. McCarthy era (whenever it begins). He has a lot to work on, including providing answers to pressure and converting in the red zone, but O’Connell is the real deal. He shouldn’t go into next season without a long-term extension.
The decision on GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah — who is also heading into the final year of his contract — is a bit less cut-and-dry, but I’m on board with extending him as well. His 2024 free agency haul was nearly flawless.
From a roster perspective, this is the second consecutive year where the Vikings’ biggest decision is at the sport’s most important postition. They got it right last offseason when they let Kirk Cousins walk in free agency and added Darnold and McCarthy. Now they face a similar dilemma. Darnold peaked higher than Cousins in 2024, he’s younger, and he isn’t injured. And yet, it feels like the Vikings will probably go the same route this time around and let someone else pay big money for a non-elite veteran QB.
Darnold’s struggles over the last two games have really changed the discussion. The Vikings may consider franchise tagging him or offering him a multi-year deal on their terms, but the most likely outcome would seem to be leaning into McCarthy in 2025.
One major part of the McCarthy appeal is that not paying Darnold frees up a lot of cap space to use elsewhere on the roster. The most glaring areas that need to be upgraded are on the middle of both lines. Offensively, the Vikings could look to replace at least two of their starting interior linemen (guards Blake Brandel and Dalton Risner and center Garrett Bradbury). O’Connell is well aware that they have to be better there. “We’ve gotta find a way to solidify the interior of the pocket,” he said after Darnold was sacked nine times against the Rams.
Minnesota also needs pressure-creating difference-makers of its own at defensive tackle. They need their version of the Rams’ Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske, who were added with Day 2 picks in the last two drafts. Whether in free agency or the draft, adding a pass-rushing DT will be key for a Vikings team that is loaded with talent at edge rusher and linebacker.
There’s a lot of uncertainty on the back end of the Vikings’ defense heading into this offseason. Four of their top six defensive backs are free agents (Byron Murphy Jr., Camryn Bynum, Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin). A fifth, Harrison Smith, turns 36 in a couple weeks and will weigh retirement vs. returning for a 14th season. Only Josh Metellus, who is due to earn a big raise in an extension, is a sure thing, although the Vikings will also get young cornerback Mekhi Blackmon back from his ACL injury.
If you pencil in Metellus and Blackmon as starters, that’s still three or four key spots to fill. Re-signing Murphy feels like a priority. Could Theo Jackson step up into one of the safety spots for Smith or Bynum? Will Dwight McGlothern be an option at CB in his second season? There’s work to do in the secondary. Smith’s decision looms large, as does Brian Flores’ head coach interviews.
Aaron Jones gave the Vikings everything they could’ve hoped for when they signed him to a one-year deal last offseason, playing in every single game while recording over 1,500 yards from scrimmage during the regular season. But he’s 30 years old and is now one of their more notable and interesting free agents. Will the Vikings look to bring Jones (and/or Cam Akers) back on another one-year deal? They could also look to add a young stud at the RB position in the draft, perhaps as high as the first round. It feels like their offense could use a back with a bit more power to punch the ball in when they get down near the goal line.
Stay up to date on all things Vikings by bookmarking Minnesota Vikings On SI, subscribing to our YouTube channel, and signing up to receive our free Vikings newsletter.