It has been nearly 2,400 days since Kirk Cousins found Kyle Rudolph in the back corner of the end zone to secure a Wild Card round victory for the Vikings in New Orleans. Since this last taste of postseason success, the Vikings have fired one head coach, two general managers, and have had nine different starting quarterbacks. Simply put, there is a lot at stake for many in the organization to be at their best. Here are five situations to monitor closely as the Vikings enter training camp looking to right the ship in 2026.The quarterback conundrumIt’s no secret that all eyes will be on Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy through training camp and preseason. The question front and center for many Vikings fans is simple: will one of these two prove capable of being the answer at QB not only in 2026 but beyond? Murray will turn 29 on August 7th, and he looks to use his one year vet-minimum deal as a chance to prove age and injuries have not limited his patented athleticism and playmaking ability. McCarthy, on the other hand, will be attempting to write a comeback story for the ages after injuries and poor play led the Vikings to Murray in the first place. The team won nine games in 2025 with some of the worst QB play in the NFL, meaning league-average QB play could easily get the Vikings to the postseason. A shaky year by both could leave the Vikings desperate heading into next offseason. Justin Jefferson being quarterback-proofJustin Jefferson has been the epitome of a franchise leader since being drafted by the Vikings in 2020. Even with wide variance in QB play, Jefferson set the record for the most receiving yards by a player in their first six NFL seasons. Despite rampant online speculation, the star receiver has made it clear that his goals are to stay and win in Minnesota. The question is, at what point could this change? If the Vikings enter 2027 without a long-term answer at QB, Jefferson may very well start to shift his mindset, and it would be impossible to blame him. After posting career lows in yards and touchdowns in 2025, it’s essential the team gets the ball to their star. If they do, there is zero reason the wins should not follow. Jordan Addison finding consistencyAddison continues to be one of the more underappreciated No. 2 wide receivers in the NFL, and 2026 is the deciding factor on how his next contract reflects that. Like Jefferson, QB play led Addison to the worst season of his young career, bringing in 42 receptions for 610 yards and three touchdowns. Addison will also need to avoid off-field trouble—an issue that has become an annual conversation and forced him to miss the first three games of 2025. From all indications, Addison is working incredibly hard this offseason to set himself up well in 2026. He spent time catching passes from Kyler Murray in Texas over the last two months after previously spending time working in Maryland with Stefon Diggs and fellow Viking Tai Felton. A drama-free season and return to form on the field should prove lucrative for Addison next spring.Coaching staff questions below O'ConnellAn argument can be made that 2026 should be a make-or-break year for Kevin O'Connell, but the offseason seems to indicate a longer leash for the head coach than some expected. This alone deserves its own deep dive, but for now let's focus on KOC’s support staff. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and QB coach/passing game coordinator Josh McCown both enter 2026 with significant stakes in the offense's performance. While O’Connell is the ultimate mastermind and decision-maker for the offensive game plan, he has repeatedly emphasized the valuable input and feedback his assistants provide him. If the Vikings miss the playoffs in 2026, Phillips and McCown could be some of the first names to face the consequences. If the offense puts on a show and the team makes a run, both could be top coaching candidates in the next hiring cycle. New GM Nolan TeasleyLate May is typically a slow time for football-related news, but the 2026 Vikings were not in a typical situation after firing their previous GM the week before the Super Bowl. After EVP Rob Brzezinski stepped in as Interim GM through the draft, the team dove into an intense search process before ultimately landing on Seahawks assistant GM Nolan Teasley. Jumping into the GM role after having zero say on free agency or the draft puts Teasley in a fascinating spot in 2026. It’s yet to be seen how he will make his impact felt in roster decisions through camp and beyond, but a lackluster year for the team could lead him to radically reshape the roster in his first full offseason. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow