Minnesota

Vikings

According to Breer, Alexander is comfortable in his current position and “wanted to see the building of the 2026 team through.” Alexander has been with the Chargers since 2024 and previously served as the Jets’ director of player personnel (2019-2023). He’s risen through the ranks since first joining the Ravens in 1999 as a pro personal assistant, and could field more offers for future GM openings if the Chargers have a strong season in 2026.

Schefter said on air Thursday night that Murray should be consider the odds-on favorite to start for Minnesota in Week 1 after signing a one-year deal worth more than $36 million. J.J. McCarthy, however, will get a shot to compete for the starting gig after his disastrous, injury-marred 2025 campaign. McCarthy, 23, entering his third NFL season, would have to stay healthy this summer to have a shot at taking the team’s QB1 spot, and he would need to improve in every facet of the game, including accuracy. Dillon Gabriel was the only quarterback with a lower completion rate over expected in 2025.

The Kyler Murray experiment should be well underway by late November as Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings look to recover from their failed dalliance with J.J. McCarthy as the team’s starting quarterback. Murray will lead a quietly loaded Minnesota offense against Kyle Shanahan’s EPA-maximizing Niners offense. The last time Brock Purdy faced the Vikings defense he threw for 319 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a Week 2 2024 loss. Purdy took a season-high six sacks in that game.

Banks did not participate in the Vikings’ rookie minicamp today, and it is unclear whether he will participate in organized team activities and/or mandatory minicamp in June. Prior to the 2026 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Banks was “on pace to be fully cleared for full football activities in early June.” We do not know if Banks’ rehab is going slower than expected or if the Vikings are just being extra cautious. Regardless, we expect updates as training camp gets closer.

Pelissero affirmed Addison’s role as a guest on the Rich Eisen Show. He prefaced the remarks by saying that WR Jauan Jennings’ signing “immediately raises questions” about whether the Vikings planned to move on from Addison before saying that they, in fact, do not. Jennings was brought in on a “cut-rate,” one-year deal to play the No. 3 wide receiver role.

We assumed this was the case, though Jennings’ size allows one to wonder if he might be valuable in heavy personnel packages. Nailor departed for the Raiders earlier this offseason. Vikings No. 2 WR Jordan Addison was suspended for Weeks 1-3 last season. From Week 4 on, Addison out-snapped Nailor 714-to-507. Expecting a similar split from Addison and Jennings this season is reasonable.

The front office brought in former Cardinals QB Kyler Murray this offseason. Murray, 28, is a far more accomplished player and can help stabilize the offense, whereas McCarthy’s ups and downs have proven costly. McCarthy seemingly faces an uphill battle to win the gig, though the team did invest the No. 10 overall pick in him in 2024.

NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported the same in early April. In one corner, we have Murray, a former Pro Bowl and playoff quarterback. In the other, we have McCarthy, who has started 10 games in two years. Murray should be considered the strong favorite and can be treated accordingly in early best ball drafts.

The deal includes an $8 million base salary. Jennings can make an extra $5 million via incentives. This will be Jennings’ first time playing for a team other than the 49ers, who drafted him in the 2020 NFL Draft’s seventh round. Jennings, 28, caught 55 passes for 643 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns last year. He should start in three-wide receiver sets alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Jefferson will rarely leave the field, but one wonders if Jennings (6'3/212) might be able to steal snaps from Addison (5'11/175) in two-wide receiver sets, in part due to Jennings’ run-blocking ability. Addison, 24, is the more talented receiver, so we expect him to remain the No. 2 target earner, but this dynamic is worth keeping an eye on in training camp. For now, Jennings can be viewed as a WR4/FLEX, while Jefferson sits in the WR1 tier and Addison in the WR2/3 range.

Heinicke most recently spent time on the Chargers’ roster, but was released in August 2025. He logged 29 starts in his career, 24 of which occurred during his time with the Commanders from 2020-22. Over the course of his career, Heinicke threw for 6,663 yards, 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions, and rushed for 608 yards and three touchdowns. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings, and spent time with the Patriots, Texans, Panthers and Falcons as well.