The Minnesota Vikings trudged through 2024 like they were on a mission, going 14-3 and whipping fans into purple-eyed hope. The Vikings under head coach Kevin O’Connell were one of the more entertaining teams in the NFL, whose offense had been surprisingly good, and their defense unflappable. “This team has everything it takes to go all the way,” a gushing fan said after their Week 14 victory, like others who wanted a run to the finals.

But the postseason came and went, with the Vikings’ aura like a hurricane in April. They had a bust with the Los Angeles Rams in their Wild Card game which was an emphatic 27-9 loss. Their QB1 and all-around regular-season MVP Sam Darnold was tormented as he turned the ball over twice and got sacked six times. Vikings from promising contenders to mowing the lawn, no one is quite sure where they’re going next.

Kevin O’Connell and the $60 million conundrum

If you think all you do is go into an NFL head coach’s office and give a playbook and a talk before a game, Kevin O’Connell’s situation could not be further from the truth. The offseason is upon us and O’Connell has $60 million worth of salary cap space to dangle around with — but don’t get misled. That number is impressive on paper, but it is also fantasy – compared to what the Vikings have to get done. With 24 unrestricted free agents (including 15 who started big roles), O’Connell has a cap position no wider than a defensive lineman’s sweater after Thanksgiving.

The task? Spread those dollars to a list of holes (some on defense where guys like Byron Murphy and Harrison Smith have deals in the works). O’Connell is perhaps like the kid with a piggy bank, who just realised everything he needs is right on the first shelf. And that’s before we even get to the quarterback stuff — man, that’s a story.

O’Connell’s ability to figure out how to run the ball has helped the Vikings but now it’s O’Connell’s turn at a preseason chess match. When he swings the wrong piece — or in this case, hits the wrong check — the team might have more to lose than a Wild Card firefight. “It’s about prioritizing impact players and building for the long haul,” O’Connell said in a postgame news conference. Meaning: Time to be savvy with that money, or it’ll evaporate like a quarter-quarter advantage.

Sam Darnold: hero or history?

Ah, Sam Darnold. He signed a 10-million dollar, one-year contract with the Vikings and had a season to remember: 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, 14-3. But football is a “what have you done for me lately” thing and Darnold’s playoff game made everybody bawl their eyes. Two fumbles, six sacks and a general “oh no” aren’t exactly the resume you need if you’re going for the mega-deal.

If we’re on the subject of mega-deals, Darnold has rocketed to a ridiculous $54.7 million a year if projections hold. For the Vikings, that’s a bitter pill to swallow — not when the rookie QB J.J. McCarthy is in the pipeline at a far more palatable $18 million over three years. McCarthy didn’t play his first year with an injury, sure, but there’s something inherently romantic about constructing around a young talent without going to the Dogs.

And so now the Vikings are faced with something resembling a rom-com choice: Stay with the reliable-but-insecure option (Darnold) or try the fresh-but-untested option (McCarthy). Not necessarily about play on the field but also what makes sense for a team that is going to have to stretch every last penny of the cap.

Darnold’s future is clear as a misty Minnesota morning to O’Connell. The veteran QB’s regular season numbers are a steal, but his playoff abyss is impossible to dismiss. Will the Vikings pony up the dough to hold on to Darnold, hazard McCarthy, or open door number three in free agency? But whichever they choose, one thing is certain: the offseason drama in Minnesota is only just beginning.