Vikings fan survey: Approval ratings on the new regime, the future at QB and more

A current of optimism is sweeping through the Minnesota Vikings faithful. First-round playoff loss, be damned!

Sure, there was some snarkiness in the responses to our Vikings fan survey. And yes, many offered valid reasons to be skeptical. But overall, the feelings were overwhelmingly positive.

More than 1,500 fans took the survey, which is a pretty staggering number. Thanks go out to each of you who took the time.

Also, we thought it would be best to include some of your comments on various questions. They have been edited for length and clarity.

So, without further ado, here are the responses:

1. Do you feel the organization values you as a fan?

Full disclosure: I plucked this question from our Cincinnati Bengals writer, Paul Dehner Jr. Bengals fans answered it positively, and Dehner wondered whether other teams’ fan bases were as connected to their team as the Cincy fans are to theirs.

I, too, was curious. And the answer is clear. Despite the angst and frustration of continually waiting for the big one, the connection is obvious. The response hinges on a multitude of factors, many of which you touched on.

Some cited their respect for the owners, especially following this year’s favorable NFLPA report card feedback. Others mentioned the recent changes made, specifically the hiring of head coach Kevin O’Connell. One reader even referenced play-by-play man Paul Allen: “He is a gem and exactly the kind of person I want calling our games and hyping me up.”

Thinking about it in the big picture, especially in the serenity of summer, the positive vibe does not surprise me. For all of the Vikings’ disappointments, this is a team that creates consistent memories and jells perfectly with its community.

2. How confident are you that the Vikings are moving in the right direction?

A year removed from massive changes, a majority of you are optimistic about the team’s direction. Maybe not overly confident, but at least believing in a vision.

“Love the Flores hire and looking forward to the continuity on offense.”

“Seems like leadership is finally all sailing in the right direction.”

The 13-win season certainly helped as did the aforementioned NFLPA report card. Most of the skepticism lies in two buckets: 1. Years of experience rooting for this team. 2. The uncertainty surrounding the future at quarterback.

“Nervous optimism.”

“I’m glad they took the right takeaways from this last season. However, it won’t mean anything without a strong QB plan.”

3. Rate the job done by the front office this offseason.

This offseason was always going to be telling. Would the Vikings, coming off a division title, double down on their aging veterans and perform the fiscal gymnastics necessary to sneak under the salary cap? Or, would they assess their cap situation and chart a different path forward?

The answer is closer to the latter. The brass cut aging veterans Eric Kendricks, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook. Simultaneously, they elected against ponying up for Dalvin Tomlinson, Patrick Peterson or Za’Darius Smith. Yet that did not prevent them from signing an unheralded tight end (Josh Oliver) and two defenders with upside (Byron Murphy Jr. and Marcus Davenport). The team also elected not to extend quarterback Kirk Cousins, though the Vikings did restructure his contract to give them some cap flexibility.

The moral of the story? It’s somewhat complicated, which is a byproduct of navigating a “competitive rebuild.”

“The reason I have any degree of trust,” one reader commented, “is that we are finally cutting ties with old/expiring contracts and getting younger, which is the first step in building something sustainable and evolving with the game.”

Organizational trust levels

1. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

2. Kevin O’Connell

3. Ownership

When I compiled this survey, one of my biggest questions was how the fans view the organization’s leaders — primarily, the two men who had been hired to change the culture and modernize the team’s processes. Was the 13-win season enough to inspire confidence? How have the fans felt about the leaders’ messaging?

The response was fairly consistent. By and large, Vikings fans feel bullish about general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, head coach Kevin O’Connell and team ownership:

“Ownership clearly wants to win, and as a fan, that’s all I can ask.”

“I think Adofo-Mensah has made some really good moves: T.J. Hockenson for one.”

“I love O’Connell’s energy.”

Asked to explain the trust levels, most cited the last two drafts as their biggest worry. “I judge the GM on drafting mostly, and I’m not sold on last year or this year … I hope I am wrong about both,” one fan said.

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is entering his second season with the Vikings. (Matt Krohn / USA Today)

Expectations

1. What are your realistic expectations for the 2023 Vikings?

2. Will the Vikings win a Super Bowl in the next 10 years?

I was surprised by the fact that more than 50 percent of the respondents said the Vikings will win a Super Bowl in the next 10 years. Not because I don’t think it’s possible, but because, well, these are the Vikings:

“Charlie Brown trying to kick the football.”

“A lot to potentially look forward to, and a lot to potentially screw up.”

“High-end purgatory.”

Amid all the snark, however, there was some optimism. Several readers wrote in to say the Vikings will win a Super Bowl before they die.

Quarterback situation

1. How do you feel about the team’s handling of the quarterback position?

2. Do you want the Vikings to extend Kirk Cousins?

The quarterback situation is extremely complicated. Almost a third of the respondents were neutral about the team’s plan, but more were skeptical about the approach than feeling good about it. And more than half of those surveyed would not extend Cousins, though the margin was not overwhelming. I had a hunch this would be the result, so I asked what you would do instead. The ideas were a mixed bag:

“Identify a rookie in the next draft that can be a franchise QB (much easier said than done, I know).”

“Keep Cousins. The odds of us getting someone better are slim. It would be too big a risk.”

“We’ve boxed ourselves in a little. Can Trey Lance be acquired cheaply for a look?”

What’s interesting is that the responses actually suggest the opposite: The Vikings have not boxed themselves into any one plan. That doesn’t mean they are navigating the situation particularly well. They may not be in position to acquire a franchise-changing QB in 2024. Jaren Hall may not be the answer. Cousins may choose to leave. The point is that the Vikings may or may not have outs. Right now, they seem willing to roll the dice that they’ll find a way forward as they attempt to build the most well-rounded roster.

Individual questions

1. Who is your current favorite Vikings player?

The write-ins were the most fun part of this question. Jefferson, the superstar wide receiver, was the runaway candidate for fan favorite. Potential Hall of Fame safety Harrison Smith trailed him. Right tackle Brian O’Neill received some votes. Punter Ryan Wright was a popular pick. Hockenson and K.J. Osborn were mentioned as well. Another asked, “Why isn’t Danielle Hunter on this list?”

Others mentioned: Brian Asamoah, Khyiris Tonga, Alexander Mattison, Josh Metellus, Andrew Booth Jr., Jacky Chen and, of course, Naz Reid of the Timberwolves.

2. Which new projected starter will make the biggest impact?

Even though first-round receiver Jordan Addison did not participate in any organized team activities due to an undisclosed injury, he was the most popular pick here. Asamoah trailed by a few percentage points, and Mattison earned his fair share of votes. Write-ins mostly hinted at opinions on different members of the secondary. Lewis Cine was mentioned. Metellus, too. Several fans were also high on the potential impact of Mekhi Blackmon, who played considerable snaps this spring with the starting defense.

Rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison took part in drills during rookie minicamp on May 12. (Abbie Parr / Associated Press)

3. Which offseason free agent are you most excited about?

Answer	Pct. of responses
Byron Murphy Jr.	64.9%
Marcus Davenport	23.9%
Josh Oliver	9.9%
Dean Lowry	1.4%

The depth chart will put Murphy in a pivotal position. He is the only experienced cornerback on the roster. And, as you’ll soon see, cornerback depth is a source of unease as 2023 dawns.

4. Which member of the 2022 Vikings were you saddest to see depart?

Answer	Pct. of responses
Adam Thielen	34.7%
Eric Kendricks	25.7%
Dalvin Cook	14.8%
Dalvin Tomlinson	10.4%
Patrick Peterson	7.6%
Za'Darius Smith	6.9%

Mostly, it felt right to honor some franchise legends in this space. We’ll do more of this once the season starts — the Vikings will face Kendricks and the Chargers in Week 3 and Thielen’s Panthers in Week 4. I credit Tomlinson’s total to the fan base’s keen perspective on the loss on the interior D-line.

5. How do you feel about Brian Flores’ hiring as defensive coordinator?

Nowhere in the entire survey were fans more in agreement than over Flores’ hiring. The praise is warranted, and it leads to what is going to be a central question over the next few months: How aggressive can Flores get with such inexperienced cornerbacks? If he can strike the proper balance, his approval rating should again put him in prime position to lead a team of his own.

6. How do you feel about the release of Dalvin Cook?

I view this as another sign of the readers understanding how a player’s talent, position and cost are intertwined. A full evaluation of a player necessitates consideration of all three factors. In Cook’s case, the three did not align, so the Vikings released him. The majority of responses showed that the fans understood that.

7. What do you think about the team selecting Jordan Addison at No. 23?

Folks seemed mildly happy with it. Sitting in a fairly meh spot in the first round, the Vikings selected a dynamic college receiver who has the potential to take attention away from Jefferson and serve as a potential No. 2 option if Osborn departs next offseason in free agency. As with most of these responses, it’s going to be fascinating to revisit this a year from now.

8. Which position group concerns you most?

Brace yourself for a conversation about the cornerback competition. It’s coming and it’s going to be relentless. Excuse Murphy from the conversation, and you have a fairly wide-open competition. Can Evans stay healthy? Is Booth capable of defending the best pass catchers in the NFL? Is Blackmon ready to contribute? Will a surprise emerge from the group, like a Joejuan Williams? We’ll be monitoring this relentlessly over the next month and a half.

Similarly, questions about Danielle Hunter’s future will hover over training camp until there’s some resolution. His presence (or lack thereof) will go a long way toward shaping the concerns about the defensive line.

9. What is your confidence level in the offensive line?

As I wrote this question, I couldn’t help but think how valuable it would be to compare the opinion on this year’s offensive line to that of prior years. The tackle pairing of Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill is very solid. The interior grouping of Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury and Ed Ingram holds the keys to the ceiling. A majority of the respondents were positive, which is likely a far cry from how the unit has been viewed in the past.

10. How would you handle T.J. Hockenson’s future?

Most fans are in agreement that the Vikings should extend Hockenson for premium tight-end money. And that makes sense. Hockenson is a native of the Midwest who assimilated quickly into a team and offense that needed him. Given Osborn’s looming free agency, it would make sense for the Vikings to secure their versatile No. 2 pass catcher for the long term.

11. Would you sign Danielle Hunter to a top-of-the-market extension?

This came as a bit of a surprise. Maybe Hunter’s injury history scares Vikings fans. Maybe “top-of-the-market” set the wrong expectations for a potential deal. Or maybe it’s the contract disputes over the years that have run their course. Regardless, this situation has to sort itself out one way or another — and sooner rather than later.

12. Which NFC North opponent are you most afraid of this season?

Vikings fans appear to align with the folks in Vegas who have pegged the Detroit Lions as the favorite in the NFC North. The Lions kept respected offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who many thought could become a head coach. They also added Cam Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley to their secondary. Add offensive weapon Jahmyr Gibbs, whom the Vikings liked in the draft, and the Vikings will have their work cut out for them.

(Top photo of Kevin O’Connell and Kirk Cousins: Andy Clayton-King / Associated Press)

The Football 100, the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, goes on sale this fall. Pre-order it here.