The Houston Texans defense will see an unlikely opponent in Sam Darnold when they face the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold is stepping in as the starter after No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury back in training camp.

J.J. McCarthy is off to a historically bad start to his career under the tutelage of O’Connell, leaving left the Vikings with more questions than answers. Max Brosmer isn’t the Get Out of Jail Free card some hoped he would be.

The Minnesota Vikings are expected to reconsider their quarterback situation over the upcoming 2026 NFL offseason.

The Houston Texans could have some trade interest around the league in their backup quarterback.