Baltimore Ravens v Minnesota Vikings
Getty MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 22: Kevin O'Connell head coach of the Minnesota Vikings speaks with offensive coordinator Wes Phillips against Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter of the preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings need more out of the QB position; that much is clear. Kyler Murray just hasn’t been producing, and it’s hard to say if that’s more on him or the coaching.
Murray has only thrown five touchdowns this season, and we’re just about halfway through the thing. Either there needs to be a change at the position, or some sort of revelation from Murray himself that leads him to figure things out.
Vikings OC Wes Phillips was asked about Murray on Tuesday, and his response was interesting, to say the least.
Vikings OC Wes Phillips Declines to Speak on Kyler Murray Performance
Minnesota Vikings v Detroit Lions
GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – NOVEMBER 01: Kyler Murray #1 of the Minnesota Vikings passes the ball during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 01, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
On Tuesday, Vikings OC Wes Phillips faced questioning regarding Murray’s performance in Detroit. He didn’t exactly provide an answer, as Kevin Seifert shared on X.
“Yeah, I don’t really want to get into an overarching, ‘Hey, this is the [problem].’ The fact of the matter is we lost the game against a tough football team on the road. It’s a division game. It stings, but we’ve got to get better moving forward. We’ll see as the week goes on where we’re at in that spot with [VP of health and performance Tyler Williams] and his crew. But yeah, we’ve got to get better. We’re going to actively pursue every avenue we can to make that happen.”
While Phillips isn’t exactly wrong, it is a bit of an odd response to completely dodge a question about your starting QB’s performance. No one is saying Phillips should throw Murray under the bus, but it sure didn’t help the QB’s optics after a rough outing.
Minnesota Suddenly Sounding Less Likely To Swing A Trade
Indianapolis Colts v Jacksonville Jaguars
GettyJACKSONVILLE, FL – NOVEMBER 01: Quarterback Daniel Jones #17 of the Indianapolis Colts hands off the ball to runningback Jonathan Taylor #28 of the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on November 1, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
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?
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL and NHL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild, and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the The Skolcial Network YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane