Who's calling the shots in Minnesota?

The quarterback situation in Minnesota has accurately been described in recent days as "fluid." There's a reason for that.

Per multiple sources who have interacted with the team in recent months, there's uncertainty as to who's running the show.

It's one of the potential byproducts of ownership living and working in a state other than the state where the team is located. The cat is almost always away. Who's the mouse in charge?

While having an absentee landlord can become a key ingredient in a simmering pot of dysfunctionpfeffer, the Vikings have managed to be competitive more often than not in the 20 years since the Jersey-based Wilf family bought the team. Still, there's current confusion as to who's calling the shots.

Coach Kevin O'Connell and G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were hired in the same cycle, three years ago. O'Connell has gotten an extension. Adofo-Mensah is in the last year of his deal.

Then there's long-time executive Rob Brzezinski, who's currently the executive V.P. of football operations. Andrew Miller became the COO after Kevin Warren (now the Bears president and CEO) left to become the Commissioner of the Big 10.

Presumably, critical decisions like the direction of the quarterback position will involve ownership. That doesn't change the sense of confusion as to the distribution of rock, paper, and scissors among the people with the day-to-day responsibility of managing the operation.

O'Connell seems to be earning more and more influence. And he's said that Sam Darnold has earned the right to become a free agent. Which is the most positive way possible of saying he's content to let him test the market — and to leave if (like Kirk Cousins a year ago) Darnold finds a better offer.

Still, the Vikings face a key decision as to whether Darnold should remain the starter, or whether the team will roll the dice with 2024 top-10 pick J.J. McCarthy.

They could have (and before 4:00 p.m. ET today still could) apply the franchise tag to Darnold with the goal of trading him. They also could do a short-term deal with Darnold. Or they could make a bigger commitment to Darnold and dangle McCarthy to a quarterback-needy team that regards McCarthy as better than the top quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class. If that move yields a top-10 pick, they could add a rookie who will help move the needle at a position of need.

It's possible that the Vikings have strategically decided to keep people guessing as to what they plan to do. It's also possible that the cooks who occupy the kitchen on a more regular basis than the head chef(s) aren't on the same page about the right move to make.

Hinging on the outcome is the short- and long-term fate of the most important position on the team. The Vikings could contend over the next five years or longer with Darnold, who played very well until the stakes were their highest. Or they could trust their evaluation of McCarthy and see whether he can not only keep them in contention through December — but also deep into January. And maybe even February.

Answers are coming sooner than later. If there's a disagreement, someone will have to break the tie. And whoever loses might not be thrilled with the outcome.