At the end of “Burn After Reading,” one of my favorite Coen brothers movies, some of the key participants in a convoluted but hilarious plot are trying to make sense of everything that happened in order to learn some lessons.
But their only conclusion was this: “I guess we learned not to do it again.”
That sort of spirit should inform the Vikings to a degree this coming offseason — once an oddly dull, uninformative and functionally disappointing 2025 season is finally over after a meaningless game Jan. 4 against the Green Bay Packers — but the Vikings will need to be more specific than a movie plot moving forward.
What exactly did the Vikings learn this year? Patrick Reusse and I talked about that on Monday’s Daily Delivery podcast, and I’ll get into more specifics during today’s 10 things to know.
- We didn’t learn nearly enough about J.J. McCarthy, and what we did learn was more concerning than encouraging. A practical view of the Vikings’ season at the beginning was this: If McCarthy played like an average NFL QB, the Vikings would be a playoff team. But even if he didn’t and the team missed the playoffs, the Vikings would get valuable information and he would take steps toward showing them he could (or couldn’t) be the guy in 2026. Instead, McCarthy has missed time with three different injuries. When he has played, he is graded No. 35 out of 40 quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus. His last 2½ games before his latest injury (hairline fracture in his throwing hand) were a considerable improvement over the rest of his work, but we can’t just ignore the bad. Ultimately, the Vikings do not know whether McCarthy is their QB solution in 2026 and beyond. And that’s the one thing they really needed to know this year.
- One thing both the 2025 process and outcome should teach them, though, is that they need a better QB plan in 2026. They cleared a path for McCarthy to be the guy this year, and they suffered as a result. Sam Howell wasn’t deemed a capable backup. Carson Wentz has a lower PFF grade than McCarthy (No. 38 out of 40), and Max Brosmer is a nice story who shouldn’t be anything more than a developmental No. 3 QB at this point in his career. A better quarterback plan might have meant a playoff berth this season considering the Vikings would finish just a half-game behind the postseason-bound Packers with a win Jan. 4. They need, at minimum, someone to compete with McCarthy for the starting job in 2026.
- Kevin O’Connell’s culture is still strong. Winning four straight games to even their record at 8-8 cost the Vikings a handful of slots in the NFL draft, but it reinforced that O’Connell still has plenty of respect in the locker room. The Vikings didn’t quit this year, and that’s important.
- Brian Flores can still bring the heat. The Vikings routinely were gouged for big plays in the first seven games of the season. But in the back half of the season, this has been one of the best defenses in the NFL. On balance, it was a playoff-caliber defense. Flores’ contract expires after this season, and keeping him should be the Vikings’ No. 1 priority. His defenses in three seasons here have ranked No. 6 (2025 currently), No. 2 (2024) and No. 16 (2023) in efficiency per ESPN. O’Connell’s offenses, by contrast, ranked No. 28, No. 11 and No. 18.
- The NFC North isn’t as mighty as we thought. The Vikings swept the Detroit Lions, who won the last two division titles, and should have swept this year’s champs (the Chicago Bears). The Packers for some reason won’t unleash Jordan Love and will limp into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed for a third straight year. The division is winnable for anyone in 2026.
- Poor drafts will catch up to you. The Vikings have yielded precious few key contributors from the last four drafts. Trying to plug holes with free agents is both expensive and unpredictable. They need more young legs running around, especially at running back, tight end and cornerback.
- For whatever reason, the Vikings can’t escape the every-other-year rule. Mike Zimmer feasted during odd seasons (playoffs in 2015, 2017 and 2019). He was finally undone with two subpar in a row (2020 and 2021). O’Connell has worked even-year magic (27 combined wins in 2022 and 2024). The Vikings haven’t made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 2008 and 2009.
- We thought the Vikings’ finale against the Packers would be great theater. It’s a shame that so little is on the line.
- Reusse and I also talked about the Timberwolves, who carry a two-game losing streak into a long road trip. They’re a hard team to figure out, just like the Vikings.
- For more Vikings talk, check out Tuesday’s podcast featuring Andrew Krammer. We’ll break down film from the Vikings’ most recent win, a 23-10 victory over the Lions on Dec. 25.
