The Minnesota Vikings are now one week away from the 2026 trade deadline. Before they get there, there is one last game to take care of.
In Week 8, they fell 19-15 to the Detroit Lions. In Week 9, they host the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Minneapolis. There has yet to be a big trade from Minnesota’s perspective, but there’s still plenty of time.
Much of the speculation surrounding the Vikings has been about Jonathan Taylor, and even some about Maxx Crosby. Minnesota has also been coming up in the usual rumors involving Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, and Justin Herbert.
After all of the speculation, a trusted insider has poured some cold water on the possibility of a trade.
Vikings Suddenly Sounding Less Likely To Swing A Trade
The great Alec Lewis of The Athletic recently shared fantastic reporting on the current situation in the Vikings’ front office as the deadline approaches.
“For the Vikings brass, assessing how far to go to supplement this team is an exercise in weighing patience versus aggression. The results will offer perhaps the clearest indication of how Teasley and the front office view team-building and resource allocation…
By now, the Vikings’ strengths have become apparent. Surrounding them in a way that does not prevent this front office from building through the draft feels like the path they’re most likely to take.”
As things stand, the Vikings’ strength is very obviously the defense. The offense has continued to underperform as the season rolls on, and it puts Minnesota in a weird position.
Do they swing for the fences at RB or QB in-season? Or do they stay conservative off of a 6-2 or 7-1 start and save the assets to build the team out this offseason when some big names are likely to leave?
Minnesota Starting to Fall Down Power Rankings
Bleacher Report has now updated its power rankings post-Week 8, and the Vikings’ positioning has dipped. Last week, the Vikings were in 2nd; this week, it’s down to 6th for Minnesota.
The justification comes from Moe Moton:
“The Minnesota Vikings were perfect in the standings for the first two months of the season, but that ended on the first day of November. Despite their mediocre quarterback play, the Vikings are still one of the league’s best teams, so they should remain within the top 10 in the power rankings for now.
However, Minnesota could start to tumble in the next few weeks. They’ll face the Buffalo Bills, the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, and the San Francisco 49ers. With Kyler Murray under center, the Vikings may struggle to keep pace with those teams.
Remember, when Minnesota beat Green Bay in Week 1, Carson Wentz came in and threw for three touchdowns. Murray has five touchdown passes in six games.”
The Vikings are now officially on “fraud alert,” as if they weren’t already. Some massive games against the league’s contenders over the next three weeks will do a lot to either prove or disprove the sentiment.
Vikings Given Worrying Trade Update From Insider As Deadline Nears