At owner's meetings, O'Connell lays out vision for Vikings QB room
The Vikings' head coach addressed Murray's fit in the offense, Wentz's role and much more in Phoenix
By Matthew Coller
Phoenix, Arizona — Whether there is really a quarterback competition in Minnesota is certainly a worthwhile question considering Kyler Murray has been a Pro Bowler and has often been ranked among the top 15 QBs by NFL executives but during his sit down with reporters at the NFL owner’s meetings on Monday, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell laid out how he expects the “competition” to work with Murray, JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer.
“There will be a time and place for that,” O’Connell said. “But you can’t go into a mindset of trying to elevate your quarterback room and get as many talented players as you possibly can and then start carving out the reps in March. It really doesn’t work like that. We really have got to decide how we’re going to apply individual improvement plans to guys and giving them runway to improve.”
Of course, there is no benefit for O’Connell to name a starter before he’s seen anyone take a rep in 2026. However, there does have to be considerations when it comes to QB1 because Murray is a different type of quarterback than McCarthy, Wentz or Brosmer. He has been one of the top scrambling and playmaking QBs in the NFL since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2019 by the Arizona Cardinals.
So how will O’Connell approach preparing Murray to play in the KOC offense versus learning about his strengths and weaknesses and adapting the offense to those areas of his game?
“I think so much of it starts with the initial process of learning about the player, learning how they see the game, what their experiences up until this point,” O’Connell said. “It creates a really fertile ground to teach and make a connection with that player…it’s always fun to be able to put on the tape and spend that time with them.”
The next question might be how much O’Connell thinks has to be changed with Murray’s style. While the perception of his game might be that he plays outside the pocket, O’Connell argued that seasoned tape watchers of Murray would see how often he played in rhythm from inside the pocket.
“I don't think he's gotten enough credit for playing in rhythm,” O’Connell said. “I think sometimes what we don't recognize is the third-and-7, right before the huge scramble play…where he hits McBride away from some tight coverage, on routes that are maybe similar to some of the things we'll do.”
O’Connell continued…
“Watching him play with really, really good technique and fundamentals, either in the drop-back game. The play-action game can be done a lot of different ways, offset gun, pistol, and under center. He's pretty dynamic in the keeper (rollout) game, the movement game with his natural athleticism. I see a lot of ways that we'll be able to continue the evolution and evolve our offense.”
The Vikings’ head coach did note that he felt that Murray could help provide “different layers” to the offense that could benefit McCarthy and Wentz.
On McCarthy, O’Connell mentioned that he has been in the Vikings’ building working during the winter. In terms of how much growth he can make in a short period of time, O’Connell highlighted the fact that he’s had a fully healthy offseason, which was not the case last year, and also brought up that his experience in 2025 should help guide him.
“I think JJ’s had a really good offseason,” O’Connell said. “I think he’s got perspective now after, you know, in a lot of ways, those 10 games, albeit, we would love to be talking about 30 plus games just starting. He definitely has experience. He knows, you know, he knows what it’s felt like to go in there and do some things at a really high level. Now, it’s just about consistency, and it’s about being in a competitive situation, not for necessarily any other reason to continue the arc of trying to become the best player he can possibly become.”
There is a case to be made that McCarthy is battling more for the QB2 position than QB1 because the team elected to bring back Wentz on a one-year contract. O’Connell noted that he felt one of Wentz’s strengths was the fact that he was able to perform without having reps during training camp last year.
“We all kind of forget that when he arrived last year he was able to operate, coming in and starting with that Cincinnati game, and we had one of our best offensive performances of the year,” O’Connell said. “But he really didn’t get a training camp practice. He really didn’t get any real competitive time in our system.”
While some folks in the media stratosphere suggested that Wentz’s signing would mean the end of McCarthy in Minnesota, O’Connell framed it a much different way. Over his four seasons as head coach, the Vikings have twice ended up playing more than two quarterbacks.
“We’ve played three guys in one year, we played four in another,” O’Connell said. “We just feel like having the ability to get quality quarterback play throughout the circumstances that we do not we do not control throughout the season gives our team [a chance to make the playoffs]. Historical data that says we get quarterback played with a certain line. We win a lot of football games.”
If we bottom line O’Connell’s comments, we can say this: The message that he had at the end of the season, that the Vikings wanted a deep and competitive QB room, came to fruition. Even if common sense points us to a clear QB1, we’re going to see it play out in the coming months.
Jordan Addison fifth-year option
In a conversation at the owner’s meetings with Purple Insider, ESPN, The Athletic, the Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press, interim GM Rob Brzezinski said that the Vikings plan to pick up Jordan Addison’s fifth-year option. That means he is under team control through 2027.
This certainly doesn’t come as a shock because most first-round picks who have had anywhere near Addison’s production usually have their options exercised. He has 175 receptions and 22 touchdowns since being taken in the 2023 draft.
The only question was whether the team was concerned enough about his off-field issues that they would be hesitant to lock him into a price tag in the ballpark at $20 million.
“He’s a really important player,” Brzezinski said.
Addison is eligible for a contract extension this offseason but the Vikings might not be interested in doing a deal with him this summer considering he was suspended in 2025 for three games, was also suspended for a quarter by O’Connell and then made headlines with an arrest that took place in a casino in Florida.
However, the fifth-year option does suggest that they aren’t bailing on their WR2 either. There was a potential scenario where they could decline the option and then make wide receiver a priority in the draft.
It’s plausible that they could aim for a Jalen Nailor replacement but that likely wouldn’t be with a first-round pick.
Blake Brandel, starting center
Heading into the offseason, one of the biggest questions facing the Vikings was how they were going to handle the center position.
Would they chase the big fish Tyler Linderbaum? Would they sign a veteran with experience like Luke Fortner or Cade Mays?
It appears that rather than going outside the building, they will be turning to Blake Brandel.
“It was really encouraging to see a guy that had never done it before seamlessly jump in there and attack that opportunity,” O’Connell said. “When you think about Blake, you think about a guy that’s played all five spots. It is great that we feel that good about Blake’s versatility, but ultimately, we want to do what’s best for Blake to ascend and reach as high as potential at one position or have the flexibility still to play multiple, but what his off season looks like, what his training camp looks like and what his workflow looks like leading into the season we want to have him, have more than likely at that center spot, and build on some things that he did last year.”
Last year Brandel 363 snaps at center and finished the season with a 67.6 PFF pass blocking grade, which ranked 17th of 41 qualifying centers.
“He’s smart and Blake’s got some pretty unique athleticism in his lower half that really bodes well for him to be able to get to the second level on different angles and get to different defenders,” O’Connell said. “And I think the opportunity to pass Block at tackle, guards and center bodes really well for him to have a full toolbox to continue ascending from a pass pro standpoint.”
The Vikings’ head coach said he was “encouraged” about the growth of backup Michael Jurgens but added that someone else could be tossed into the mix as well, presumably referring to the possibility of drafting a center.
Harrison Smith’s return?
Like the rest of us, it seems like the Vikings are still waiting on an answer from Harrison Smith as to whether he is going to play in 2026 or not.
O’Connell said that there is no pressure from the Vikings’ side for him to make a decision.
“I’ll check in with him at some point,” O’Connell said. “He knows how I feel about him, how we feel about him, but we also want to be respectful and give him space to continue to figure out what he wants to do.”
Smith’s decision does not impact whether the Vikings would draft a safety considering that would be a long-term choice and Smith returning would be about 2026 alone. But it might change their thinking as they get into the offseason about any available safeties that remain on the market into June.
Frank Smith is a big hire for O’Connell
The Vikings added former Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith to their staff earlier this offseason. At the time, it looked like a clear statement from O’Connell that he was looking to enhance the team’s success in the run game. Well, it appears that assumption was correct.
“Frank, just watching from afar, him being Mike [McDaniel’s] right hand man down there in Miami for four years, some of the things they were able to do, you know, schematically… the idea of really being able to apply a lot of different principles in the run game, zone based principles, gap, pole based principles, but also doing it out of the gun, offset, gun, pistol — I’m thinking out in front of what might be to come, regardless of who we were fortunate enough to add at [quarterback], but that’s kind of where the league is going anyway.”
How will the Vikings get a little more juice in the backfield to truly improve their explosiveness? Will they spend a Day 2 draft pick? Is there someone else they see in free agency or via trade?