The Minnesota Vikings are one of the most lopsided teams in the NFL. Minnesota is 4-0 and owns the longest active winning streak in the league at nine straight games. Even so, the Vikings’ offense has been a real problem, and the quarterback position sits at the center of it.

Minnesota went without a touchdown in wins over the Bears and the Dolphins, the latest being a 15-10 slog against Miami. Through Week 3, the Vikings had the second-fewest yards of any team to start 3-0.

Quarterback Kyler Murray has thrown for 433 yards, one touchdown pass, and two interceptions while missing time with an injury. He ranks 24th in EPA per pass, and the offense sits 23rd in EPA per pass and 22nd in EPA per rush.

Murray also isn’t under contract after the 2026 season. My Best Pod Available co-host Joe DeLeone and I dug into what comes next for Minnesota’s quarterback room. Here’s where I landed.

Kevin O’Connell isn’t going anywhere yet

DeLeone floated an idea I’ve heard from the national perspective. If the offense stays a mess and the defense stays dominant, does Minnesota move on from head coach Kevin O’Connell and promote defensive coordinator Brian Flores?

I don’t see it right now.

O’Connell is 47-25 with the Vikings, and he is the one who hired Flores in the first place. Minnesota went 4-8 last year before winning its final five games, and it nearly made the playoffs with a shaky quarterback situation. It’s hard to look a coach with that resume in the eye and show him the door.

That said, I do think O’Connell gets in his own way at times. He is a play caller at heart, and that may hurt the overall product on offense. If the unit doesn’t improve, I could see a conversation about bringing in an outside offensive coordinator, leaning on run game coordinator Frank Smith, or handing off play calling.

DeLeone pushed back, pointing to the Buffalo Bills’ recent coaching move as a blueprint teams could copy if Minnesota narrowly misses the playoffs. We agreed on one thing: the Vikings can’t let Flores walk out the door, at least not without a fight.

Justin Herbert is the dream fit

If we’re talking about the pie-in-the-sky option, Justin Herbert is the guy for me.

O’Connell wants to push the ball vertically, and Herbert has thrived in a heavy play-action offense that attacks downfield. DeLeone believes the Chargers have regressed year over year under Jim Harbaugh. Still, Minnesota would need Herbert himself to want out, and I don’t think that happens.

That’s also why I push back on the Mac Jones (San Francisco 49ers) conversation. Jones is more of a short-to-intermediate, get-the-ball-out-quick quarterback. He’d be a sensible stopgap, but I’m not sure he’s who O’Connell truly wants.

Here are the other names I put on the table:

– Free agents after the season: Murray, Tua Tagovailoa (Atlanta Falcons), Justin Fields (Kansas City Chiefs), Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts), and Jones

– Trade options (potentially during or after the season): Herbert, Joe Burrow (unlikely), Spencer Rattler (New Orleans Saints), Shedeur Sanders (Cleveland Browns), and Davis Mills (Houston Texans)

Rattler is my No. 2 option behind Herbert. He has the arm to be aggressive downfield, and New Orleans has Zach Wilson, so the Saints don’t necessarily need both behind Tyler Shough. Jones is my No. 3, though I don’t expect the 49ers to move a quality backup during the season. Sanders brings too much of a distraction, while Mills might simply raise the floor.

What about the 2027 NFL draft?

Here’s the thing about the draft route: I don’t think O’Connell wants a young quarterback. I heard Jeremiah Sirles from the OL Committee make the argument that O’Connell wants a grown dog at quarterback rather than a puppy. Look at his success stories in Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold, and it tracks.

If Minnesota does go this direction, it needs as many quarterbacks as possible to declare. That includes Austin Simmons (Ole Miss), Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State), CJ Carr (Notre Dame), DJ Lagway (Baylor), Nico Iamaleava (UCLA), Dante Moore (Oregon), and Arch Manning (Texas).

A crowded class pushes talent down the board toward a team picking in the late teens or 20s.

For my money, Mestemaker is the most Kevin O’Connell quarterback in the class because he’ll take chances. Carr throws a nice deep ball as well. Otherwise, I’d either trade into the top 15 or take a Day 2 dart throw on someone like Josh Hoover (Indiana) or Brendan Sorsby (Texas Tech). Quarterbacks drafted between picks 10 and 20 haven’t had a great hit rate.

DeLeone’s verdict was to sign Jones, then grab Hoover early in the second round. I like a version of that plan, pairing a veteran with a developmental arm. The options aren’t great, but the Vikings can’t afford to get this one wrong again.