Training camp 2026 is on the horizon for the Minnesota Vikings. The team won five games to close out 2025 and has addressed a plethora of needs via free agency and the draft.
Most Vikings fans are cautiously optimistic about the team's chances this year, but even the most diehard realize there are concerns with the squad. The Vikings do have some obvious issues heading into the season, but others are flying under the radar.
Here are some concerns about the 2026 Vikings that aren't being talked about enough.
4 overlooked Minnesota Vikings concerns entering training camp
Running Back Room
At first blush, the Vikings' running back room looks like a strength. They have Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, along with exciting rookie Demond Claiborne and Zavier Scott, who earned snaps a season ago and proved to be a solid all-around back.
However, a closer look can lead to some trepidation.
Jones hasn't played a full season since 2022 and appeared in just 12 games last year. He'll be pushing 32 at the start of the season and is well beyond his prime, and the fact that he's back with the team is actually a bit surprising.
Mason was also an injury risk last year and didn't make the impact many figured he would.
Claiborne, while exciting, was a sixth-round pick for a reason and isn't even guaranteed a spot on the roster. Scott did earn some playing time but didn't show any signs that he's more than a backup.
If this running back room is hit by injuries again, the depth gets thin real fast, and that could be a major issue in 2026.
No Jonathan Greenard
The Vikings were basically forced to deal Jonathan Greenard this offseason. He wanted a pay raise, and the Vikings didn't have it in the budget to bring him back.
They received two third-round picks and will now have to rely on Dallas Turner to be the new pass-rushing partner in crime with Andrew Van Ginkel.
Turner seems more than ready for the opportunity coming off an eight-sack season, but the loss of Greenard is being understated.
While he only managed three sacks last year, he created constant pressure and was consistently in the face of opposing quarterbacks. Those hurries led to plenty of errant throws and put quarterbacks off their game as they began feeling that pressure, even if it wasn't there.
Again, Turner appears ready to be the next Greenard, but he needs to show it week in and week out, and if he can't do that, it could be the straw that breaks the back of Brian Flores's defense.
Reliance on Rookies
If the 2026 Vikings are going to be competitive, they will have to do something they haven't done in a long time, and that is rely on rookies to be significant contributors right out of the gate.
Under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings failed to build through the draft and had to build a competitive roster through free agency. All that spending finally caught up with the team, and they had next to nothing to spend this past March.
The Vikings took plenty of players who should see the field early in 2026.
Caleb Banks, assuming he's healthy, and Domonique "Big Citrus" Orange should both be starters on the defensive line. Second-round pick Jake Golday should be a heavy part of the linebacker rotation, and third-round pick Jakobe Thomas could battle for a starting job in camp.
The Vikings could also see contributions from fifth-round CB Chuck Demmings and sixth-round RB Demond Claiborne.
Obviously, the best 53 men should make the team, and the best 22 should be starters, but when a lot of those are rookies, it comes with risk.
Dumb penalties, blown assignments, and adjusting to the speed of the NFL game are all common issues rookies struggle with. If a handful of players are making those mistakes, it could set the team back in a major way.
Quarterback Play
The talk all offseason has been about the Vikings quarterback battle. Will it be Kyler Murray, or will it be J.J. McCarthy?
There's another question to ask: what if they both struggle?
It's not a stretch to suggest that. For the most part, McCarthy was awful last season, holding the ball too long, overshooting receivers, and playing with sloppy mechanics.
The bad definitely outweighed the good, and there's hope he can be better, but what if he just isn't it?
Murray also didn't have a great 2025 season. He only started five games and threw for 962 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. That was good for a 47.2 QBR and got him benched in favor of journeyman Jacoby Brissett.
While it's exciting to have him in purple, he is by no means a lock to rip it up as the Vikings' starter.
If both of the quarterbacks struggle and the team switches from one to the other, or has to rely on Carson Wentz at some point this season, then 2026 will begin to look a lot like 2025.
The team will have to win games with the defense, and that isn't sustainable. Justin Jefferson and the wide receiver room will get fed up with the poor quarterback play, and things could get ugly, and O'Connell's seat could become very hot.
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