Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
This offseason the Minnesota Vikings spent a boatload of money this offseason. In fact, only the New England Patriots spent more than Kwesi Adofo-Mensah handed out to new talent.
That all happened despite the Vikings allowing both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones to sign with new teams. They decided to roll with J.J. McCarthy on his rookie contract because the quarterback was supposed to be a byproduct of his environment.
That hasn’t been close to the case and Dan Orlovsky pulled no punches calling it exactly like it is.
Dan Orlovsky nails Minnesota Vikings as biggest failure
At 3-4 the Minnesota Vikings now own a losing record and find themselves at the bottom of the NFC North. This was a team that people could dream on winning a Super Bowl, and the roster looked ripe with veteran talent. Nothing has gone right, and Dan Orlovsky laid it all out there.
"I think this is the most disappointing roster in football right now."@danorlovsky7 weighs in on the Vikings after their loss to the Chargers on Thursday 👀 pic.twitter.com/1jRkdTwCPP
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 24, 2025
“I think this is the most disappointing roster in football right now. This is an organization that, this offseason spent the second most free agent money in the NFL. This was a roster that was built in many of our eyes to be quarterback independent. This offensive line cannot protect on a consistent basis at all. The interior offensive line is very poor. This run defense has been ran all over this season. All over this year. It happened again last night [Thursday]. The Chargers game I was just like here tight ends run game, stop it.
I’m shocked, because I honestly thought that this team was built to say if you just had average quarterback play, you’re an NFC Championship contender…This roster is unbelievably disappointing right now.”
Dan Orlovsky – ESPN
As Orlovsky points out, quarterback is hardly the Minnesota Vikings problem. It would have been great had J.J. McCarthy not suffered a high ankle sprain, but either he or Carson Wentz aren’t going to overcome the ineptitude across the board.
Kevin O’Connell has not coached well enough for the offense to function, and the expensive line has been nothing short of a complete flop. Despite building in the middle of the defense with Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, the team gets gashed on the ground by every single opponent.
Week 9 may bring an opportunity for J.J. McCarthy to return under center. Expecting his presence to turn things around for a roster that has flopped across the board brings unfair expectations though.
Veterans have to make the change for MN Vikings
Ryan Kelly isn’t likely coming back for the Minnesota Vikings. Will Fries and Donovan Jackson have to get the job done next to Blake Brandel though. It remains to be seen whether Andrew Van Ginkel comes back, but that means Jonathan Greenard and Dallas Turner have to get the job done.
Brian Flores was supposed to have an impressive front seven and they have looked anything but. The cornerback room always appeared like a problematic position, and after a strong start, has absolutely turned into one.
Even the best quarterback play isn’t turning things around for the Vikings. There’s an opportunity for them to finish the season above .500. If they want to avoid a top-ten draft pick though, they’ll need to have everyone from the coaching staff to talent on the field start holding themselves to a higher standard.
Mentioned in this article: Dan Orlovsky More About: Minnesota Vikings
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