After shocking the world by winning 14 games last season, the Vikings got blown out by the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs, a humbling defeat that paved the way for some major changes on the roster.
Not only did the Vikings make the difficult decision to move on from Sam Darnold at quarterback, they reinforced the trenches on both sides of the ball while spending upwards of $300 million in free agency.
Now, the Vikings will move forward this season with rookie J.J. McCarthy leading the charge under center. He has fully recovered from his torn meniscus and is ready to step into the spotlight as the face of the franchise.
Here are five storylines to follow as the Vikings open training camp this week at TCO Performance Center:
The start of the J.J. McCarthy era
There were flashes of brilliance from McCarthy in the spring; he impressed on the field with his arm talent, and off the field with his magnetic personality at the podium. Will he be able to keep the momentum going in the summer?
That’s the biggest question that needs to be answered.
Every move that the Vikings have made over the past few months is indicative of a group fully expecting to compete for the Super Bowl. Whether they are capable of actually doing that will fall squarely on McCarthy’s shoulders.
Although the front office made a concerted effort to surround McCarthy with playmakers, the Vikings will go as he goes this season, for better or for worse.
The revamped offensive line
Maybe if head coach Kevin O’Connell had some more time to cool off after the Vikings lost to the Rams in the playoffs, he wouldn’t have been so honest. The emotions were still raw for O’Connell roughly 30 minutes after time expired, however, as he emphasized that the interior of the offensive line needed to improve.
That statement served as a compass for the Vikings in free agency as they signed Ryan Kelly to play center and Will Fries to play right guard. The remodeling continued in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft when they chose Donovan Jackson to play left guard.
There’s no doubt the interior of the offensive line will look different this season. Some early signs of how much it has actually improved will come in training camp when that trio takes the field together for the first time.
The dynamic duo at running back
The fact that the Vikings were able to run it back with Aaron Jones can’t be overstated. He was an extremely important part of the offense last season at running back, proving to be a difference maker on the ground and catching passes out of the backfield.
The only issue? Jones set a career high with 306 touches. That’s clearly not something the Vikings want to see happen again, which explains why they went out and acquired Jordan Mason in a trade. Now the Vikings boast a dynamic duo at running back.
That should help make life easier on McCarthy whenever he drops back to pass.
The competition at cornerback
The signings of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave made headlines in free agency as the Vikings prioritized the interior of the defensive line. So did the three-year, $54 million deal that put Byron Murphy Jr. among the highest paid cornerbacks in the NFL.
That said, the Vikings also made a couple of savvy moves that flew under the radar, signing Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah to provide some depth on the corners.
The expectation is that Rodgers and Okudah will be competing against each other to see who emerges as the starter. The competition at cornerback also will include Mekhi Blackmon, Dwight McGlothern and a handful of other players hoping to make a name for themselves.
The fact that the Vikings didn’t kick the tires on Jalen Ramsey or Jaire Alexander when they were looking for a change of scenery suggests they are content to let the string play out internally before signing anybody else.
The contract extension for Josh Metellus
It will be interesting to see how much Josh Metellus participates in training camp if he doesn’t get a contract extension soon. There have been no indications that he plans to hold out.
The hardest part about the negotiations when it comes to Metellus is the fact that he plays so many different positions. Though he’s technically a safety, he lines up all over the field on defense, which makes it hard to figure out his market value.
After losing Cam Bynum in free agency, the Vikings need Metellus to pair alongside Harrison Smith and Theo Jackson.
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