Predicting how a player or team will perform during the upcoming NFL season is a popular topic for many media outlets at this point in the year. While it is incredibly difficult to know how a team like the Minnesota Vikings will fare during the 2026 NFL season, predicting how they (and others) will perform is a lot of fun.
Taking a deeper look at a team like the Vikings and singling out players who are likely to produce less during the upcoming season is also challenging. A player can take a step backward for numerous reasons, and pinpointing who will regress and why is tough.
Expectations are a tricky thing. If they are set too high, fans can be setting themselves up for disaster. If they are too low, it can lead to a lack of interest or passion for the product taking place on the football field each week.
Two former Minnesota Vikings players destined to regress in 2026
In a recent article written by FanSided's Justin Carter, five NFL stars were singled out as individuals who are likely to take a step backward during the 2026 NFL season. That list includes two former Minnesota players.
The first player named in the piece is former Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold. Coming off a Super Bowl win with the Seattle Seahawks, it would be tough to repeat that success during the upcoming season.
Here is why Carter thinks Darnold will regress this season:
"(Darnold) also threw 14 interceptions, the most he's had since his rookie season, and his touchdown rate dropped from 6.4 percent in 2024 to 5.2 percent in 2025. There were already signs that 2025 might not have actually been as good as 2024 Darnold. Could those signs become even more glaring this time around?"
Carter also notes that Seattle did little to nothing to improve their receiving corps this offseason, which could be another reason that Darnold fails to have a season similar to the one he had in 2025 with the Seahawks.
The second former Vikings player in the article is edge rusher Danielle Hunter. Turning 32 this year, the former third-round pick of Minnesota registered 14 sacks with the Houston Texans last season. However, Carter sees his production dropping off this year.
Here is why he believes Hunter will regress in 2026:
"No one is saying Hunter will be bad in 2026. Heck, he'll likely still get double-digit sacks. But, I kind of expect a little bit of fall off, something closer to 10 sacks than 15 sacks with fewer snaps and just overall less impact than he's had over the past two seasons."
It makes sense that fewer snaps would lead to less production. With fewer opportunities on the field, it will be much more difficult to make plays and repeat that high number of quarterback takedowns.
Considering he has only failed to reach double-digit sack numbers in one of his last seven seasons, it might be hard to bet against the former Minnesota edge rusher.
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