The Minnesota Vikings, under Sam Darnold, shocked the NFL by going 14-3 but ultimately lost to the Detroit Lions in the final game of the regular season with the NFC North Division title on the line.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell went with Sam Darnold all season once their rookie J.J. McCarthy missed the entire rookie season with a torn meniscus. Many expected McCarthy to start at some point of the season but it was a perfect storm for the Vikings in 2024, where Darnold held up and played brilliantly until he played poorly against the Detroit Lions and NFL Wildcard game with the Los Angeles Rams, crashing his stock.
Darnold manage to cash in from his only season with Minnesota with a 3-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Now, it is McCarthy who is expected to be the starter although they are expected to sign a veteran to backup McCarthy(Kirk Cousins reunion?).
The Vikings will remain dangerous and explosive as long as Justin Jefferson stays healthy. It's now up to J.J. McCarthy to keep feeding him the ball. It's also up to Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi-Adofo-Mensah to make sure he is in a position to succeed.
Free Agency
Notable Vikings players hitting free agency:
- S Harrison Smith
- CB Byron Murphy
- OT Cam Robinson
- CB Stephon Gilmore
- RB Cam Akers
- CB Shaq Griffin
Their biggest free agent, Sam Darnold has left for Seattle. They were able to re-sign running back Aaron Jones over the weekend, which will help McCarthy a lot as he eases himself into as a starting quarterback.
Tuesday was a busy day for the Vikings. First, they signed defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who was released by the Washington Commanders last week, to a 3-year, $60 million contract. They also plan to sign Javon Hargrave, who will be officially released by San Francisco on Wednesday. The Vikings are beefing up the middle of the defense with the addition of Allen and Hargrave to go with Harrison Phillips.
They also announced the signing of Colts guard Will Fries, someone the Bears were linked to before the Bears acquired Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney via trade. Fries' contract is reportedly 5-year, $88 million. Much like Aaron Banks' contract with Green Bay, it seems like the Vikings overpaid, which the Bears thankfully avoided doing.
They also signed another Colt offensive lineman in center Ryan Kelly, another player linked to the Bears by signing him to a 2-year, $18 million contract on Monday. Much like the Bears, they are beefing up their trenches on both sides as they face the NFC North, which features to be the most physical and competitive division in the NFL.
They also retained cornerback Byron Murphy to a massive 3-year, $66 million contract while they lost safety Cam Bynum, who left to join the Indianapolis Colts.
Draft needs
The Vikings have four picks in the April's draft.
- First round: 24th
- Third round: 97th
- Fifth round: 139th
- Fifth Round: 160th
Losing Bynum put the safety position at the top of their draft needs. There are two safeties from the SEC, South Carolina's Nick Emmanwori, who had a phenomenal draft combine to boost his stock, and Malaki Starks from Georgia, whose stock is not as high right now compared to at the beginning of the season. Both would be an outstanding addition to their defense.
Even with re-signing Murphy, they could use more depth at cornerback since the NFC North is loaded with talented receivers. Picking 24th, they might be looking at Kentucky's Maxwell Hairston, East Carolina's Shavon Revel Jr., coming off an ACL injury, Florida State's Azareye'h Thomas, and Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison, coming off hip surgery in the first round.