Minnesota is experiencing a free fall from a 14-win season to a dismal 4–8 struggle.
Entering Week 14, Minnesota is 4–8 and in the basement of the competitive NFC North by a mile. It has been a disappointing ride through the 17-game schedule for a franchise that went 14–3 last season and was one win away from claiming the NFC’s No.
1 seed. There were question marks entering the year for sure, mostly around J.J. McCarthy’s ability to take over as the team’s starting quarterback. That hasn’t gone well, to put it lightly, but McCarthy is not the only factor in Minnesota’s struggles., marking the end of his second stint with the Vikings after 12 games. Thielen was supposed to be a steady target for McCarthy and provide veteran leadership in the receiver room; instead, he played just 29% of the offensive snaps and caught eight passes for 69 yards with three drops.now goes down as just another move by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah that has aged poorly in a season of seemingly never-ending bad news.Darnold turned his career around last season with the Vikings, guiding them to 14 wins and finally establishing himself as a quality NFL starting quarterback after wearing the label of first-round bust for years. He set career highs in just about every meaningful category last season throwing to star receiver Justin Jefferson in coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense, but afterIn 12 games, Darnold has thrown for 2,913 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has cut his sack rate—something that has haunted him throughout his entire career—in half from last season and is leading the NFL in yards per pass attempt .called a “pretty similar offer” to the three-year, $100.5 million deal that includes a few opt outs that he ended up signing with Seattle. But Minnesota wasn’t willing to go longer than a one-year commitment due to its belief in McCarthy. The Vikings got a close-up view of Darnold on Sunday during their ugly 26–0 loss to the Seahawks. Darnold didn’t exactly put on a show, throwing for 128 yards on 14-of-26 passing, but he did enough to conduct Seattle’s offense down the field for its ninth win. Meanwhile, undrafted rookie Max Brosmer threw four interceptions and looked completely overmatched in his first career start.career is off to a horrendous start . McCarthy owns the fifth-worst passer rating and the worst interception rate for any NFL quarterback through his first six starts since 2000. The Vikings have gone 2–4 in his starts, but even in the two wins, McCarthy has struggled. Aside from his woes between the hashes, McCarthy is also having a hard time staying on the field. He missed his entire 2024 rookie season due to two knee surgeries, and he has been sidelined for six games in ‘25 with an ankle injury and a concussion.) or bring in veteran Aaron Rodgers. Although they offered contracts to Darnold and Jones, both opted to sign elsewhere, and the Sam Howell was McCarthy’s backup in training camp, but he played so poorly the Vikings traded him to Philadelphia for basically nothing. The Vikings then signed Carson Wentz off the street. Wentz was hard to watch, but he did get Jefferson involved and won two games as the starting QB before undergoing season-ending surgery. With Wentz out, Brosmer took over as McCarthy’s backup and, well, his first start was historically bad. Brosmer threw four interceptions and the Vikings were shut out for the first time since 2007. Even though O’Connell was able to “fix” Darnold, and quarterbacks like Josh Dobbs and even Nick Mullens have found success in his system, McCarthy struggling in his first year as a starter was always a real possibility. For an offense with this much talent—Jefferson and Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson and left tackle Christian Darrisaw—Wentz was not close to being a good enough backup plan, much less Brosmer.Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was hired as the Vikings general manager in January 2022. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Vikings might be littered with stars on both sides of the ball, but depth has been an issue, especially with a laundry list of injuries they’ve faced in 2025.Tai Felton, WR, Maryland Kobe King, LB, Penn State Jackson has been a solid addition to the Vikings’ offensive line. In nine games, he has given up two sacks and ranks 39th among 81 qualified offensive guards in PFF’s overall grades . He’s far from Darrisaw’s talent level on the outside, but he’s been an improvement from last year’s unit. The rest of the class isn’t contributing much at all. Felton, a receiver selected in the third round, has made his biggest impact as a gunner in the punt game. Ingram-Dawkins hasn’t done much while playing 22% of the defensive snaps, King has played all of three snaps and Bartholomew remains on the PUP list. Zoom out further, and Adofo-Mensah’s big swings in drafts don’t look good, either. McCarthy could very well develop into a startable NFL quarterback, but right now he does not look the part. The Vikings’ other 2024 first-round pick, Dallas Turner, has fallen well short of expectations in Brian Flores’s defense. Addison was a good choice in the first round of 2023, but only one other member of that six-player draft class—safety Jay Ward—remains with the organization this season. Sure, McCarthy should wear most of the blame for the Vikings’ struggles this season. But he’s far from being the roster’s only issue.Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump Administration Halts Asylum Decisions After National Guard Shooting in D.C.The Trump administration has paused all asylum decisions and visa issuances for Afghan passport holders following a shooting near the White House involving National Guard members. The suspect, an Afghan national, is facing murder charges. This move has sparked debate over immigration policies and national security.
Read more »
United States halts asylum decisions after shootings of National Guard personnelIt's been three days since two National Guard members were shot by an Afghan national in downtown D.C.
Read more »
Shedeur Sanders Calls Out Reporter for 'Rude' Question About Coaching DecisionsSanders wasn't about to criticize his coach.
Read more »
Newark students ask for voice in school decisions: ‘Let us sit at the table’Youth coalition presents research on how building issues like ceiling leaks and broken furniture impact learning, with Superintendent Roger León taking notes during presentation.
Read more »
The Secret To Better Decisions At Work When Technology Moves Too FastLeaders make better decisions when they slow the pace of fast-moving work, stay present, and ask thoughtful questions that reveal what their teams actually know.
Read more »
Central Ohio Schools Face Complex Decisions on Snow DaysSchool districts in central Ohio navigate a complex process when deciding whether to cancel or delay school due to winter weather, prioritizing student safety while considering road conditions, weather forecasts, and district-specific factors.
Read more »