A Quiet Vikings Deadline Started With Teasley’s Late Arrival

Vikings A Quiet Vikings Deadline Started With Teasley's Late Arrival Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings. By Wyatt Wade - November 12, 2026 In January, the Minnesota Vikings made what many felt was a necessary decision by dismissing former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The wrinkle? The team decided to wait until after the draft to start the search for a new GM, eventually hiring Nolan Teasley in late May. Ownership showed tons of faith in head coach Kevin O’Connell , defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and interim GM Rob Brzezinski. However, after the deadline, the Wilfs may wonder whether they made the right call waiting until after the draft. All season, the talk has been that Minnesota’s offense is holding back a championship defense. Monday night’s game underscored these concerns, while Tuesday’s deadline did little to remedy them. Monday night For most of three quarters, the defense did their job, holding the Buffalo Bills’ high-powered offense to just 13 points. The offense, and most importantly Minnesota’s QB play, became a topic of discussion all night, including in the broadcast booth, where Joe Buck and Troy Aikman became fixated on how poorly Carson Wentz was playing. By the end of the game, the team and coaching staff had seen all three of the QBs on the squad this season, with Max Brosmer coming in for the first time to finish the night, where he showed that he might have been the best option after Wentz produced an 8.9 quarterback rating while replacing the injured Kyler Murray . Murray was held out with what was listed as a hamstring injury. However, many fans speculated it was a “ soft benching ” after he completed less than 60% of his passes in his previous two starts. Against the Bills on Monday night, Wentz went 8-of-25 for 81 yards, two interceptions, and a fumble on a backward pass intended for Justin Jefferson . Carson Wentz Tried To Hit Justin Jefferson On A Screen And Completely Missed, Throwing It Over His Head. It Ended Up Being A Backward Pass, And The Buffalo Bills Recovered It. This Could Be A Fumble After That Misthrow, And Minnesota Just Gave One Away. pic.twitter.com/cGMVK8FrtV — SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) November 10, 2026 The kicker comes in the form of quarterback rating, where Wentz’s 8.9 QBR was one of the worst performances in NFL history. Had Wentz spiked the ball on every play from scrimmage, his rating would have been higher (39.6). When Brosmer came in on the offense’s final drive, he went six for seven for 58 yards and a rating of 101.2. It was a much better outing for the undrafted man out of the University of Minnesota, even though the game was over by then. Quarterback play has hindered the Vikings all season long. Even when the team looked like it was turning the corner against the New Orleans Saints, the offense’s rhythm and cohesion continued to be its downfall. Teasley could only do so much before the season started, but he had a chance to make an impact after Monday night and before the deadline. Deadline downfall The offense was under a microscope while the team was 6-0. Now, after their second straight loss, the team was scrambling for an answer, especially at quarterback. Teasley had a chance at the deadline to be aggressive and reward a defense that has shown it can play at a championship level by getting pieces to lift the offense from abysmal to potentially mediocre. What does Teasley then do? Goes out and gets Kirk Cousins for a third-round pick. That’s it. For a team that has been consistently struggling to get the ball into the end zone, it felt like they were more than a quarterback away. So where does that leave the Vikings going into Week 10? the prognosis One move later, and the Vikings are an injury away from being right back where they started before the deadline. There were rumors and rumblings of the Vikings trying to get a higher-quality quarterback, a running back, some offensive line help, and defensive depth. However, it never came to fruition. The Vikings are a 6-2 team post-deadline that Teasley mostly inherited. He traded for Cousins, but it was to land a QB familiar with O’Connell and his complex offense. This was never Teasley’s team. He has yet to do what the Vikings brought him in to do: draft quality talent. Ultimately, fans may be left wondering what could have been if Teasley had been at the helm sooner. Wyatt Wade Wyatt Wade is a Cameron, WI native who is an avid Vikings and Twins fan. He writes for Zone Coverage covering both teams and has been writing for Zone Coverage since 2024. Follow him on X @wyattwade91. All Articles