As injuries piled up on the Minnesota Vikings over the first month of the season, the team could at least lean on a defense that was making it hard on opponents to move the football through the air and score points.
After two woeful performances in five days, that typically sturdy crutch is clearly broken.
Brian Flores’ defense got torched for the second straight week during Thursday night’s brutal, 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
The Vikings were bad in last week’s loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles, surrendering 14.2 yards per pass attempt, including 45- and 79-yard back-breakers. They weren’t any better on Thursday, giving up over 9 yards per attempt to Justin Herbert while getting gashed on the ground for 207 net yards.
Minnesota’s decimated offense and subpar quarterback play definitely isn’t helping the cause, but the Vikings had their full starting defense available for the Chargers game, sans edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel.
There’s a clear elephant in the room entering Week 9, and Minnesota could have to go bold at the NFL’s upcoming trade deadline to fix it.
The Minnesota Vikings need to trade for a cornerback before this year’s trade deadline
The Vikings’ Jeff Okudah experiment has gone from intriguing in the summer to untenable entering the second half of the season.
He only played 11 snaps Thursday before exiting early in the second half via the NFL’s concussion protocol. Before the injury, he got cooked for 42 yards on three targets, per Pro Football Focus, including a rough rep in coverage on Ladd McConkey’s 27-yard touchdown reception in the final minute of the first half.
what a throw. what a catch.
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) October 24, 2025
📺 | @nflonprime pic.twitter.com/Qq3o694P2a
The Vikings were down to starters Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers, and second-year pro Dwight McGlothern at cornerback against the Chargers. They haven’t gotten great returns from that group as a whole in 2025; through seven games, only Rodgers has intercepted a pass, and it came off the now-benched Jake Browning.
Minnesota will have one of the best front sevens in football once it gets Van Ginkel back healthy. But the explosive plays are beginning to pile up on the back end at an alarming rate, and the Vikings will need to make a move to stop the bleeding.
3 cornerbacks general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Minnesota Vikings should trade for now
Roger McCreary, Tennessee Titans
McCreary was the No. 35 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and has developed into a solid nickel for the Titans; he doesn’t have a contract for 2026, though, making him a potential rental for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings.
Minnesota mostly covers the slot with Murphy and safety Josh Metellus. McCreary would provide another option. He's also a solid tackler in run support, which is an area of need.
Alontae Taylor, New Orleans Saints
If the Vikings simply want to find an upgrade at CB3 for Okudah, Taylor would be a fine option with the Saints slumping at 1-6.
Similar to Murphy, Taylor can play both on the boundary and in the slot. He’s flashed some improvement in coverage this season and hasn’t missed a tackle in four straight games, per PFF.
The 26-year-old could be a commodity for CB-needy teams at the deadline, and the Vikings should be among those calling.
Tariq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks
Woolen’s play has taken a step back this year, but he was excellent for Seattle over his first two years in the league and could benefit from an elite defensive mind like Flores.
The Seahawks are rolling, but they have some depth at the position. If Woolen, another pending 2026 free agent, isn’t in their long-term plans, swapping him for draft capital could be in play at the deadline; Woolen was a fifth-round pick in 2025.
Playmaking has been sorely missing from Minnesota’s secondary this year, and Woolen has 11 career interceptions through four-plus seasons.