The Minnesota Vikings will probably need to trade for a running back like Jonathan Taylor in the next eight days if they hope to elevate their offense enough to compete at a Super Bowl level through January and into February, but the entire unit can reset if the franchise is willing to replace quarterback Kyler Murray next offseason.
That appears the most likely outcome based on current circumstances and the way the team is trending following its first loss of the season in Week 8 to the Detroit Lions. Murray was unwatchable and barely playable for most of the day, save for two strong drives — one in each half.
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson was so angry on the sidelines during the fourth quarter that he skipped speaking with media members following the contest in what was an uncharacteristic move for one of the team’s leaders and among the more classy superstars in the NFL.
If the Vikings want to keep Jefferson and company happy, that probably means a new quarterback next spring, unless something changes both dramatically and quickly with Murray in Minnesota.
And while the current news for two-time MVP and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (2019, 2023) isn’t good, there is a real chance he could wind up playing for a new team in 2027. If that’s the case, Vikings fans should expect their franchise to be all-in on his acquisition.
Lamar Jackson May Miss Remainder of Season With Injury
Jackson missed three games earlier this season with an ankle sprain before returning against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
However, he suffered a thumb injury on his first play back after his throwing hand smashed into a defender’s helmet on the follow-through of Baltimore’s opening pass.
Jackson left the game immediately and did not return. He will now undergo surgery on the thumb and is heading to the injured reserve list (IR). There is a legitimate chance that the quarterback could miss the remainder of the season due to the injury.
Ravens Trade of Lamar Jackson More Likely Than It Seems
Jacob Robinson of The Athletic posited on Monday, November 2 that Jackson, should he miss the remainder of the season, may have played his last snap with the Ravens.
“It’s fair to question his future in Baltimore amid a second consecutive ‘one of those seasons’ for the Ravens, who needed their emergency QB after also losing backup Tyler Huntley during a 36-10 defeat in Buffalo,” Robinson wrote. “Jackson, still just 29, has no guaranteed money left on his contract.”
Jackson remains under contract through the 2027 campaign, which means that he will only change teams next offseason if Baltimore trades him. And while that doesn’t sound like a viable possibility off the cuff, it actually could make plenty of sense — particularly if Jackson doesn’t sign an extension soon and lets the Ravens know he plans to exit after next year regardless of what happens.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell projected Jackson’s trade value at two first-round picks, and then some, in a column he wrote ahead of the regular season. The QB’s trade value probably hasn’t dipped much since then, as the thumb injury is more of a freak accident than something a team like the Vikings might point to as a potentially lingering health concern/reason they should get a discount.
Minnesota owns both of its first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, and has a total of four selections across the first three rounds in next year’s draft.
Vikings Ideal Fit to Replace Kyler Murray With MVP Poised to Change Teams