2026 Minnesota Vikings season

2026 Minnesota Vikings season
Owner	Zygi Wilf
General manager	TBD
Head coach	Kevin O'Connell
Home stadium	U.S. Bank Stadium
Uniform

← 2025 Vikings seasons 2027 →

The 2026 season will be the Minnesota Vikings' 66th in the National Football League (NFL), their 11th playing their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium, their 22nd under the ownership of Zygi Wilf, their fifth under head coach Kevin O'Connell, and their first under a new general manager. Executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski served as the team's interim general manager through the 2026 NFL draft.^[1] The Vikings will hope to improve upon their 9–8 record from the previous season, return to the playoffs after a one-year absence, and end their three-year NFC North title drought.

For the first time since 2011, Harrison Smith will not be on the roster and for the first time since 2015, fullback C.J. Ham will also not be on the roster, as he announced his retirement on February 5.

Staff

2026 Minnesota Vikings coaching staff changes
Position	Previous incumbent	Vacancy reason	Replacement(s)	Source(s)
Defensive coordinator	Brian Flores, 2023–present	Contract extended	N/a	^[2]
General manager	Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, 2020–2025	Fired	TBC	^[3]
Defensive backs coach	Daronte Jones, 2022–2025	Hired by the Washington Commanders^[4]	Gerald Alexander	^[5]
Offensive line coach	Chris Kuper, 2022–2025	Contract expired	Keith Carter
Assistant head coach	Mike Pettine, 2022–2025	Retired^[6]	Frank Smith
Defensive running game coordinator	N/a	N/a	Ryan Nielsen
Football administration consultant	N/a	N/a	Matt Thomas	^[7]
Assistant offensive line coach	Keith Carter, 2025	Promoted to offensive line coach	Derek Warehime	^[8]
Tight ends coach	Brian Angelichio, 2022–2025	Hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers^[9]	Ryan Cordell	^[8]
Offensive passing game coordinator	Brian Angelichio, 2022–2025	Hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers^[9]	Josh McCown	^[10]
Assistant wide receivers coach	Tony Sorrentino, 2022–2025	Hired by the Arizona Cardinals^[11]	Derron Montgomery
Assistant defensive line coach	Imarjaye Albury Sr., 2020–2025	Hired by Texas Tech^[12]	Patrick Hill
Passing game specialist	Ryan Cordell, 2022–2025	Promoted to tight ends coach	Jordan Traylor
Offensive quality control	Derron Montgomery, 2022–2025	Promoted to assistant wide receivers coach	Kyle Caskey
Assistant special teams coach	Dalmin Gibson, 2023–2025	Promoted to assistant linebackers coach	Chili Davis
Assistant offensive coordinator	Jordan Traylor, 2025	Promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach/passing game specialist	Chris O'Hara
Defensive assistant	N/a	N/a	Will Johnson
Assistant defensive backs coach	N/a	N/a	Chenzo Funari
Assistant linebackers coach	N/a	N/a	Dalmin Gibson
Senior defensive assistant	N/a	N/a	Mike Siravo

Futures contracts

Position	Player	Date signed	Source
WR	Dontae Fleming	January 5	^[13]
S	Kahlef Hailassie
LB	Josh Ross
G	Vershon Lee
T	Caleb Etienne
WR	Joaquin Davis
WR	Jeshaun Jones
TE	Bryson Nesbit
DL	Jaylon Hutchings	January 7
LB	Jacob Roberts	January 7

Free agents

Position	Player	Free agency tag	2026 team	Date	Notes	Source
LB	Eric Wilson	UFA	Minnesota Vikings	March 9	3 years, $22.5 million	^[14]
OLB	Bo Richter	ERFA	Minnesota Vikings		1 year, $1.075 million	^[15]
RB	Zavier Scott	ERFA	Minnesota Vikings		1 year, $1.005 million	^[15]
LS	Andrew DePaola	UFA	Minnesota Vikings	March 10	1 years, $1.725 million	^[16]
S	Tavierre Thomas	UFA	Minnesota Vikings	March 11	2 years, $4.6 million	^[17]
P	Ryan Wright	UFA	New Orleans Saints	March 11	4 years, $14 million	^[18]
WR	Jalen Nailor	UFA	Las Vegas Raiders	March 12	3 years, $35.03 million	^[19]
TE	Ben Sims	RFA	Miami Dolphins	March 16	1 year, $1.3325 million	^[20]
RB	Ty Chandler	UFA	New Orleans Saints	March 17	1 year, $1.215 million	^[21]
QB	Carson Wentz	UFA	Minnesota Vikings	March 19	1 year, $3 million	^[22]
T	Justin Skule	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	April 6		^[23]
DL	Jalen Redmond	ERFA	Minnesota Vikings	April 14	1 year, $1.075 million	^[24]
LB	Ivan Pace Jr.	RFA	Minnesota Vikings	April 20	1 year, $3.52 million	^[25]
CB	Fabian Moreau	UFA
T	Matt Nelson	UFA
CB	Jeff Okudah	UFA
QB	Brett Rypien	UFA
QB	John Wolford	UFA

Signings

Position	Player	Free agency tag	Former team	Date signed	Notes	Source
CB	James Pierre	UFA	Pittsburgh Steelers	March 12	2 years, $8.5 million	^[26]
QB	Kyler Murray	UFA	Arizona Cardinals	March 12	1 year, $1.3 million	^[27]
P	Johnny Hekker	UFA	Tennessee Titans	March 17	1 year	^[28]
OL	Ryan Van Demark	RFA	Buffalo Bills	March 20	1 year, $4.2 million	^[29]
DL	Eric Johnson	UFA	Indianapolis Colts	April 29	1 year	^[30]

Releases/retirements

Position	Player	New team	Date released/retired	Source
CB	Tyrek Funderburk	Carolina Panthers^[31]	January 12	^[32]
DE	Jonathan Harris
RB	Sincere McCormick
LB	Gabriel Murphy
OT	Max Pircher
LB	Sione Takitaki
FB	C. J. Ham	Retired	February 5	^[33]
C	Ryan Kelly	Retired	March 6	^[34]
DL	Jonathan Allen	Cincinnati Bengals	March 11	^[35]
DL	Javon Hargrave	Green Bay Packers		^[35]
S	Harrison Smith			^[36]

Draft

Having finished with a 9–8 record in 2025, equal with the Detroit Lions, the Vikings have the 18th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft and will alternate with the Lions in each subsequent round. They are scheduled to go into the draft with nine selections, their most since the 2022 draft. As well as their original first-, second-, third- and seventh-round picks, they were also awarded an additional third-round pick in compensation for the loss of QB Sam Darnold.^[37] They acquired an additional sixth-round selection in a trade that sent DT Harrison Phillips to the New York Jets, in conjunction with a late-round pick swap in 2027;^[38] that sixth-round pick was later sent to the Philadelphia Eagles along with QB Sam Howell in exchange for an additional fifth-round selection.^[39] They acquired another sixth-round selection in a trade that sent CB Mekhi Blackmon to the Indianapolis Colts.^[40]

The Vikings originally traded away their fifth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for T Cam Robinson and an additional seventh-round pick;^[41] the trade contained conditions that the fifth-round pick would be upgraded to a fourth-round pick and the seventh-round pick would be annuled based on Robinson meeting a playing time threshold,^[42] which he did. Having regained their original fifth-round pick, the Vikings then traded it away to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for WR Adam Thielen and an additional seventh-round selection, as well as swapping mid-round picks in 2027.^[43] The Vikings' original sixth-round pick was first sent to the Houston Texans as part of a trade for RB Cam Akers that also gave the Vikings an additional seventh-round pick;^[44] the Texans then traded that same sixth-round pick back to the Vikings in exchange for G Ed Ingram,^[45] before the Vikings again traded the pick away to the San Francisco 49ers (along with a 2025 fifth-round selection) for RB Jordan Mason.^[46]

With their first-round pick, the Vikings selected Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks.^[47]

2026 Minnesota Vikings draft selections
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	18	Caleb Banks	DL	Florida
2	49	Traded to the Carolina Panthers^[A]
2	51	Jake Golday	LB	Cincinnati	From Panthers^[A]
3	82	Domonique Orange	DL	Iowa State
	97	Caleb Tiernan	OT	Northwestern	Compensatory selection
	98	Jakobe Thomas	S	Miami (FL)	From Eagles^[B]
4	117	Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars^[C]
5	158	Traded to the Carolina Panthers^[D]
	159	Max Bredeson	FB	Michigan	From Panthers^[A]
	163	Charles Demmings	CB	Stephen F. Austin	From Eagles^[E]
6	196	Traded to the Carolina Panthers^[A]			From Colts^[F]
	198	Demond Claiborne	RB	Wake Forest	From Vikings^[G] via Texans,^[H] 49ers^[I] and Patriots^[J]
	211	Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles^[E]			From Broncos via Jets^[K]
7	234	Traded to the New England Patriots^[J]
	235	Gavin Gerhardt	C	Cincinnati	From Panthers^[D]
	244	Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles^[B]			From Texans^[G]

2026 Minnesota Vikings undrafted free agents
Name	Position	College	Ref.
Marcus Allen	CB	North Carolina	^[51]
Da'Veawn Armstead	CB	North Texas
Dillon Bell	WR	Georgia
Jordan Botelho	OLB	Notre Dame
Tyreek Chappell	CB	Texas A&M
Monkell Goodwine	DL	South Carolina
Shaleak Knotts	WR	Maryland
Keli Lawson	LB	UCF
Tristan Leigh	OL	Clemson
Delby Lemieux	OL	Dartmouth
Kejon Owens	RB	FIU
Tomas Rimac	OL	Virginia Tech
Marcus Sanders Jr.	WR	Georgia Southern
Cam'Ron Stewart	OLB	Temple
Jacob Thomas	S	James Madison
Brett Thorson	P	Georgia
Arden Walker	OLB	Colorado
Scooby Williams	LB	Texas A&M
Lyke Wysong	WR	Arizona

Draft trades

1 2 3 4 The Vikings traded second- and sixth- round selections (49th and 196th overall) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for second- and fifth- round selections (51st and 159th overall).^[48]
1 2 The Vikings traded a seventh-round selection (244th overall) and OLB Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a third-round selection (98th overall) and a 2027 third-round selection.^[49]
↑ The Vikings traded a conditional fifth-round selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a conditional seventh-round selection and OT Cam Robinson. The fifth-round selection became a fourth-round selection (117th overall) as a result of Robinson meeting playing time criteria. The conditions for the seventh-round selection were not met.
1 2 The Vikings traded a fifth-round selection (158th overall) and a 2027 fourth-round selection to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a conditional seventh-round selection (235th overall), a 2027 fifth-round selection and WR Adam Thielen.
1 2 The Vikings traded a sixth-round selection (211th overall) and QB Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fifth-round selection (163rd overall) and a 2027 seventh-round selection.
↑ The Vikings traded CB Mekhi Blackmon to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a sixth-round selection (196th overall).
1 2 The Vikings traded a conditional sixth-round selection (198th overall) to the Houston Texans in exchange for a conditional seventh-round selection (244th overall) and RB Cam Akers.
↑ The Vikings traded G Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans in exchange for a sixth-round selection (198th overall).
↑ The Vikings traded a sixth-round selection (198th overall) and a 2025 fifth-round selection to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for RB Jordan Mason.
1 2 The Vikings traded a seventh-round selection (234th overall) and a 2027 sixth-round selection to the New England Patriots in exchange for a sixth-round selection (198th overall).^[50]
↑ The Vikings traded a 2027 seventh-round selection and DT Harrison Phillips to the New York Jets in exchange for a sixth-round selection (211th overall) and a 2027 sixth-round selection.

Staff

**Minnesota Vikings staff**
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	Front office Owner/chairman – Zygi Wilf Owner/vice chairman – Leonard Wilf Owner/president – Mark Wilf Chief operating officer – Andrew Miller De facto General manager/Executive vice president of football operations – Rob Brzezinski Assistant general manager – Ryan Grigson Assistant general manager – Demitrius Washington Director of player personnel – Ryan Monnens Assistant director of player personnel – Chisom Opara Director of pro personnel – Sam DeLuca Senior personnel executive – Jamaal Stephenson Director of college scouting – Mike Sholiton Senior college executive – Pat Roberts Head coaches Head coach – Kevin O'Connell Assistant head coach – Frank Smith Assistant to the head coach – Henry Schneider IV Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Wes Phillips Assistant offensive coordinator – Chris O'Hara Offensive passing game coordinator/quarterbacks – Josh McCown Assistant quarterbacks/passing game specialist – Jordan Traylor Offensive running game coordinator/running backs – Curtis Modkins Wide receivers – Keenan McCardell Assistant wide receivers – Derron Montgomery Tight ends/game management coordinator – Ryan Cordell Offensive line – Keith Carter Assistant offensive line – Derek Warehime Offensive assistant – Ben Ellefson Offensive quality control – Kyle Caskey			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Brian Flores Defensive running game coordinator – Ryan Nielsen Assistant defensive line – Patrick Hill Outside linebackers – Thad Bogardus Senior defensive assistant/inside linebackers – Mike Siravo Assistant linebackers – Dalmin Gibson Defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs – Gerald Alexander Assistant defensive backs – Chenzo Funari Defensive assistant – Charlie Frye Defensive assistant – Will Johnson Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Matt Daniels Assistant special teams coordinator – Chili Davis Strength and conditioning Vice president, player health and performance – Tyler Williams Director of sports medicine – Matt Duhamel Associate head athletic trainer – Connor Whicker Head performance dietician – Ben Hawkins Head strength coach – Joe Distor Jr. Assistant strength coach/head of applied sports science – Dan Ridenour → Coaching staff → Front office → More NFL staffs

Current roster

**Minnesota Vikings roster**
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Quarterbacks (QB) 12 Max Brosmer 9 J. J. McCarthy 1 Kyler Murray 11 Carson Wentz Running backs (RB) -- Max Bredeson FB -- Demond Claiborne 33 Aaron Jones 27 Jordan Mason -- Kejon Owens 36 Zavier Scott Wide receivers (WR) 3 Jordan Addison -- Dillon Bell 81 Joaquin Davis 13 Tai Felton 19 Dontae Fleming 18 Justin Jefferson 82 Jeshaun Jones -- Shaleak Knotts 4 Myles Price -- Marcus Sanders Jr. -- Lyke Wysong Tight ends (TE) 86 Gavin Bartholomew 87 T. J. Hockenson 83 Bryson Nesbit 84 Josh Oliver 85 Ben Yurosek		Offensive linemen (OL) 64 Blake Brandel RG 68 Henry Byrd G 71 Christian Darrisaw LT 79 Caleb Etienne LT 76 Will Fries RG -- Gavin Gerhardt C 60 Joe Huber LG 74 Donovan Jackson LG 65 Michael Jurgens C 66 Vershon Lee G -- Tristan Leigh LT -- Delby Lemieux C 75 Brian O'Neill RT -- Tomas Rimac LG 73 Walter Rouse RT -- Caleb Tiernan LT 72 Ryan Van Demark LT Defensive linemen (DL) 95 Caleb Banks DE -- Monkell Goodwin DE 90 Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins DE -- Domonique Orange NT 61 Jalen Redmond DE 50 Levi Drake Rodriguez NT 94 Taki Taimani NT 99 Elijah Williams DE		Linebackers (LB) 96 Tyler Batty OLB -- Jordan Botelho OLB 51 Blake Cashman ILB 32 Chaz Chambliss OLB -- Jake Golday ILB -- Keli Lawson ILB 0 Ivan Pace Jr. ILB 98 Bo Richter OLB 48 Jacob Roberts ILB 52 Josh Ross ILB -- Cam'Ron Stewart OLB 15 Dallas Turner OLB 43 Andrew Van Ginkel OLB -- Arden Walker OLB -- Scooby Williams ILB 55 Eric Wilson ILB Defensive backs (DB) -- Marcus Allen CB -- Da'Veawn Armstead CB -- Tyreek Chappell CB -- Charles Demmings CB 25 Kahlef Hailassie FS 26 Theo Jackson SS 6 Dwight McGlothern CB 44 Josh Metellus S 7 Byron Murphy CB 23 James Pierre CB 2 Isaiah Rodgers CB -- Jakobe Thomas FS -- Jacob Thomas SS 37 Tavierre Thomas S 34 Zemaiah Vaughn CB 24 Jay Ward FS Special teams (ST) 42 Andrew DePaola LS -- Johnny Hekker P 16 Will Reichard K -- Brett Thorson P (Int.)		77 active (1 exempt), 9 unsigned As of April 28, 2026. Rookies in italics. Roster Depth chart Transactions

Category	Home	Away
Division opponents (NFC North)	Chicago Bears Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers
Conference opponents (NFC South)	Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers	New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Conference opponents (based on 2025 division placement)	Washington Commanders	San Francisco 49ers
Interconference opponents (AFC East)	Buffalo Bills Miami Dolphins	New England Patriots New York Jets
Interconference opponent (based on 2025 division placement)	Indianapolis Colts	N/a

v t e Minnesota Vikings
Founded in 1961 Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota Headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota
Franchise	Franchise History Expansion draft All-time roster First-round draft picks Quarterbacks Head coaches Seasons Records Draft Broadcasters Ownership Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center
Stadiums	Metropolitan Stadium Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome TCF Bank Stadium U.S. Bank Stadium
Culture	Purple People Eaters "Skol, Vikings" How I Met Your Mother "Little Minnesota" "Tailgate" Cheerleaders Alan Roach Truth Hurts (song) Quarterback "Higher" (Creed song)
Lore	The Wrong Way Run Hail Mary Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy Philadelphia Eagles Santa Claus incident Miracle at the Met Herschel Walker trade Gary Anderson's missed field goal Love Boat scandal Minneapolis Miracle Minneapolis Miracle II 65 Toss Power Trap
Rivalries	Chicago Bears Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Los Angeles Rams New Orleans Saints
Division championships (21)	1968 1969 1970 1971 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1980 1989 1992 1994 1998 2000 2008 2009 2015 2017 2022
Conference championships (4)	1969 1973 1974 1976
League championships (1)	1969
Retired numbers	10 53 70 77 80 88
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: North Division

2026 Minnesota Vikings season

Staff

Futures contracts

Free agents

Signings

Releases/retirements

Draft

Staff

Current roster

Preseason

Regular season

2026 opponents

References

External links

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