The Minnesota Vikings are hopeful that adding Kyler Murray in the quarterback room with J.J. McCarthy this fall, the team will get a lot better play behind center during 2026.
But that’s not guaranteed to happen. On Friday, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon explored the scenario where it doesn’t occur.
Gagnon argued that’s the 2026 nightmare scenario for the Vikings.
“A new environment doesn’t fix Kyler Murray, and J.J. McCarthy solidifies his bust status, but the defense is strong enough to prevent Minnesota from landing a franchise-altering first-round pick,” wrote Gagnon.
In that situation, the Vikings will remain where they’ve been for most of the last decade. The team has been good enough to compete in the regular season, sometimes even post an impressive record.
But the Vikings have won just one playoff game over the past eight years.
In Gagnon’s nightmare scenario, it doesn’t sound like the Vikings will even make the playoffs. Instead, they could miss it again with a record hovering around .500.
That’s what happened last season. As a result, the Vikings held the No. 18 pick overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Will Vikings ‘Fix’ QB Kyler Murray?
There are a lot of high hopes for Murray in Minnesota this fall. It’s easy to understand why.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell maximized the end of Kirk Cousins’s tenure with the team. Then, he helped now Super Bowl-winning quarterback Sam Darnold turn around his career.
Murray is O’Connell’s next project.
Gagnon didn’t predict Murray to not find success with O’Connell. Instead, it was merely the organization’s “nightmare” scenario for 2026.
But it wouldn’t be super shocking if it happens. Murray never won 10 games in his seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Since his last Pro Bowl campaign, Murray owns a 16-25 record with a 53.6 QBR.
Granted, that record came with one of the league’s most struggling franchises. But over the last four years, Murray hasn’t lived up to his No. 1 overall pick billing.
He also hasn’t managed to stay on the field. Murray suffered a torn ACL in 2022 and then missed time because of a foot injury last year.
What Will 2026 NFL Season Bring for QB J.J. McCarthy?
Murray starting but not playing well is the nightmare scenario for the Vikings because it means the team will have wasted another year in McCarthy’s development.
Even if Murray plays well, that actually could be the case. The former Cardinals quarterback is only signed for one season, and the Vikings should hardly be confident in McCarthy entering 2027 as the team’s starter if he doesn’t play much this fall.
But if Murray plays well, the Vikings will presumably bring him back on a long-term deal. That will move McCarthy firmly into a backup role.
What happens with McCarthy if the Vikings don’t bring back Murray for 2027 is unclear. Ideally, in that situation, Minnesota would probably draft another quarterback next spring. But the team won’t be in a great situation to do that if the Vikings are competitive enough to not get a top 10 pick.
It’s hard to find purgatory in the NFL. But in their nightmare scenario, the Vikings would find it next season.
Vikings Put on Notice With Potential Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy Nightmare Scenario