4 ‘what-if’ scenarios that could derail the Vikings’ season

The Minnesota Vikings could be a juggernaut in 2025-26 if all of the offseason roster decisions and health goes their way, but there are a number of risky unknowns that could derail their outlook. Let's get into the what-if scenarios of concern.

1. What if J.J. McCarthy isn't as advertised?

If McCarthy isn't as good as advertised, then the 2025-26 season could go off the rails in a hurry. A team is typically only as good as its quarterback, and if McCarthy isn't up to the task the Vikings don't have anyone behind him capable of keeping the team afloat (sorry, Sam Howell). Fortunately, the roster is so good that McCarthy doesn't have to be the savior, he just has to be competent.

2. What if Jordan Addison is suspended?

There's a chance that Addison is suspended for the first three games of the regular season due to his DUI arrest in Los Angeles last summer. If he misses games against the Bears, Falcons and Bengals in Weeks 1-3, the opposition could have a much easier time trying to shut down Justin Jefferson. That would mean big-time pressure on Jalen Nailor, Rondale Moore and rookie Tai Felton to get open consistently.

Even if it's only three games, the last thing Minnesota can afford is a slow start with a new quarterback while playing in a division that could require 12+ victories to win.

3. What if the cornerback plan doesn't work?

Byron Murphy Jr. is back on a big contract after earning a Pro Bowl selection last season, but the experienced veterans who made his life easier last season — Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin — are gone. If free-agent signees Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah don't fill the shoes of the departed, and Mekhi Blackmon isn't the same after his ACL injury, then Minnesota's reconstruction of the cornerback room could blow up and cause significant issues on defense. That's one area where the Vikings could still look to add another veteran this summer.

4. What if the key free agents they signed get injured again?

Injuries happen, but there's a bit more concern with the Vikings because they put a ton of money into players who spent last season injured.

Javon Hargrave is 32 and he missed most of last season with a torn triceps. Will Fries is coming back from a fractured tibia. Ryan Kelly, 31, suffered neck, calf and knee injuries last season, with the knee issue ending with a stint on injured reserve. Jonathan Allen was lost for most of the season with a torn pectoral muscle.

Those are the four big signings MInnesota made to bolster the offensive and defensive lines. If they can't stay healthy, it'll be back to the drawing board with the same players who struggled when it mattered most in the trenches last season.

Vikings news, rumors and analysis