At a time when the Vikings are believed to be talking to the Colts about a potential trade for running back Jonathan Taylor, they should adjust their focal point, just a bit.

The Vikings should be talking to the Colts about a potential trade for quarterback Daniel Jones.

When the thought first popped into my somewhat relaxed brain on Sunday, I was mostly kidding. After reflecting on Sunday’s 19-15 loss to the Lions — and revisiting the rare displays of frustration from receiver Justin Jefferson late in the game and, even more significantly, from coach Kevin O’Connell when talking to quarterback Kyler Murray after an ugly interception late in the first half — it’s not a joke.

They should immediately pivot from Taylor to Jones.

The Vikings had Jones in the building two years ago, after he was released by the Giants. They wanted to keep him for 2025, more (by all appearances) than they wanted to keep Sam Darnold. (Indeed, there were whispers of a potential benching of Darnold for Jones in the 2024 postseason.)

Now that the Colts are in full-blown pre-rebuild mode, trading Jones should be part of the effort to clear the decks (and stockpile picks) for the next G.M. And while the Colts have a window to avoid more than $10 million of Jones’s $38 million compensation package for 2027 via a trade in the early days of the new league year in March, they could get more now from a contender that envisions Jones as an immediate upgrade.

Jones obviously won’t be the long-term answer in Indianapolis. And he would undoubtedly welcome the chance to move on from a team that prematurely threw in the towel last week by trading guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

In Minnesota, Jones would be an immediate upgrade over Kyler Murray. The difference between Jones vs. Murray could be more significant than the difference between Jonathan Taylor and Aaron Jones/Jordan Mason. Which, if accurate, would result in a bigger overall bump to the offense.

The Vikings have a championship-caliber defense, thanks in large part to the work of defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The grind-it-out-and-get-a-win formula had been working — until it didn’t.

Here’s the inescapable reality. When they win with quarterback play that is inconsistent and, in turn, frustrating to people like Jefferson and O’Connell, it’s easy to overlook the flaws and keep pushing forward. When they lose, the frustrations of that moment become compounded by the lingering frustrations regarding plays and points left on the field in the wins that were salvaged by the defense.

Whether it’s Jones or someone else (including a possible pivot to Carson Wentz), O’Connell and G.M. Nolan Teasley need to conduct a frank, candid, and objective assessment of the quarterback play under Murray. The fact that they picked Murray over J.J. McCarthy shouldn’t be a factor. That’s the kind of pride/ego consideration that keeps dysfunctional teams dysfunctional by doubling down on a mistake instead of admitting it and moving on.

The Vikings need to realize that: (1) the defense is great; (2) the running game is good enough; and (3) the passing game is too spotty to be expected to make a big play in a big spot.

Consider the decision that O’Connell made with 3:01 to play on Sunday, when the Vikings faced fourth and five from their own 33. Down four points after the Detroit running game had hot-knife-through-buttered their way to the go-ahead touchdown, why give the ball back to the Lions and let them close out the game by continuing to lean on Jahmyr Gibbs?

In that moment, O’Connell thought the chances of winning were enhanced by punting — not by asking the offense to gain five yards in a gotta-have-it situation.

While the choice showed unwarranted confidence in the defense, it showed NO confidence in the quarterback.

Frankly, that one specific decision from O’Connell leads naturally to the next, more consequential decision that the organization must make. If O’Connell doesn’t trust the offense under Murray to gain five yards with the game on the line, the Vikings should no longer entrust the offense to Murray.

It’s that simple. And, if the Vikings hope to avoid an outcome to the season that will result in an every-other-year playoff appearance and another one-and-done postseason, they’ll make the decision that someone other than Murray should be playing quarterback.

At a time when politics have become a major national focal point, this would be a so-called 80-20 issue among Vikings fans. They’ve seen the “just good enough is just good enough” movie for decades. With the defense the Vikings currently have, the offense needs more. If they’re serious about having a snowball’s chance in San Diego to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years, they’ll send Kyler to Belize and make a play for Jones.

Or someone else. See if the Raiders are willing to part with Kirk Cousins (they shouldn’t be, but why not make the call?) Call the Chargers about Justin Herbert. Scour every depth chart and start doing the due diligence.

When Cousins suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon just before the trade deadline in 2023, the Vikings mobilized instantly to find a replacement. Based on the full body of work from Murray to date in 2026, they should be doing the same thing now — if they want to parlay their 6-0 start into the best possible finish.