Still decompressing after that playoff loss against the Rams. The non-competitive nature of the game is what really depresses the most. For these dudes to not even show up for a playoff game is embarrassing. While Sam Darnold deserves plenty of blame, the offensive line really chose a great time to get their butts handed to them.
The measure of a player really is how they perform when the lights are the brightest.
Putrid offensive line headlines shocking PFF grades from Vikings-Rams
Darnold had a 36.8 score (that’s extremely bad) on the eight passing plays that the Rams blitzed. When he was pressured, he completed 10 of 17 passes for 114 yard an an interception. When he was kept clean, he was 15 of 23 for 131 yards and a touchdown.
After being pressured a season-high 33 times by the Lions in Week 18, the Vikings offensive line was charged with allowing 32 pressures against the Rams. Left tackle Cam Robinson gave up 12 pressures and a sack, by far the worst of Minnesota’s O-linemen. Robinson had allowed 18 total pressures in Weeks 11-16 before giving up 21 in the last two games.
Right tackle Brian O’Neill, who left the game with a possible concussion in the fourth quarter, was charged with seven pressures and two sacks. Left guard Blake Brandel gave up two sacks and five total pressures, and right guard Dalton Risner stumbled his way to five pressures including a sack.
The best of the bunch up front was center Garrett Bradbury, who was charged with only one pressure in 53 pass-blocking snaps.
On the flip side, the Vikings generated 14 pressures on Matthew Stafford, but they sacked him only two times and hit him twice more.
The worst defensive grades went to defensive lineman Jerry Tillery (39.0), safety Josh Metellus (39.5) and defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard (45.8), who jumped offsides on fourth down to help the Rams eventually put the ball in the end zone on the opening drive of the game.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
Despite winning 14 games, there are still a lot of holes on the team and they need to find a way to grow their roster to take the next step.
1. Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, or both
What will the Vikings do here? It’s very similar to the 2004 San Diego Chargers who saw Drew Brees emerge in year four right after they took Phillip Rivers in that April’s NFL Draft.
“I want to relate it to a scenario that happened with the Chargers 2001 NFL draft. They had the first overall pick and hey weren’t 100% sold on Michael Vick. Now, in today’s day and age, I think everybody would have been sold on Michael Vick the player, but 2001 it was a very, very different league so they traded back to fifth overall and they got a decent package and then they took LaDanian Tomlinson and with the first pick in the second round, they took Drew Brees. And Brees we know and he’s going to end up being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but at that point, Brees his first couple years he was okay and very up and down. And in the 2004 NFL Draft, they had the first overall pick again they took Eli Manning, traded for Philip Rivers, got extra draft capital from the Giants and the rest is history. So 2004 Drew Brees is in a contract year, balls out and I believe he made the Pro Bowl so now the Chargers are looking at themselves okay. We’ve got essentially the first overall pick here because that’s the pick they had Rivers was taken for do we go with Rivers or do we keep Drew Brees after he just absolutely balled out and he looks to be like a legitimate quarterback. What do we do? And I think that scenario is something that you can kind of look at for a comparison point if Darnold just all of the sudden takes off because he just turned 27 years old.”
2. Extend Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
This one is very simple and it needs to get done. The job that O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah have done is nothing short of spectacular. They are 34-19 overall with a 0.667 winning percentage in the regular season. Considering the state of the roster and salary cap when they got here, that’s quite an impressive mark.
3. Find an interior pass rusher
The Vikings’ pass rush was excellent all season. They had 48 sacks, with two players, Jonathan Greenard (12.0) and Andrew Van Ginkel (11.5), over 10 sacks. The biggest issue is that the Vikings don’t have anyone who can rush the passer from the interior.
4. Upgrade both guard spots
There will be people calling for Garrett Bradbury to be replaced. Sure, he’s not a great player, but he’s more than solid enough in his role, especially when he’s making just $5.25 million AAV.
5. Fortify the secondary
Shaquill Griffin and Stephon Gilmore likely won’t be retained, Harrison Smith might retire, and Camryn Bynum could leave via free agency. I would be surprised if the Vikings let Byron Murphy Jr. walk, Mekhi Blackmon will return from the torn ACL he suffered on the first day of training camp, and Theo Jackson looks ready to step into a starting role.
6. Long-term plan for running back
Aaron Jones was great for the Vikings this season. He rushed for over 1,000 yards, but injuries kept piling up at the end of the year and hindered him. His running mate, Cam Akers, was better than we could have expected, but the Vikings need to improve their running back room and find a future 1a.
7. Three-down linebacker next to Blake Cashman
While Ivan Pace Jr. is a talented player who does a really good job in multiple areas, one thing he’s not is a true three-down linebacker. It showed in a major way when Cashman was out, especially in the first game against the Rams when Kyren Williams cooked him on an option route for a touchdown.
As good as Darnold had been in 2024, he was just as bad in 2025. Riding a nine-game winning streak, Darnold was awful in those two losses with the most at stake during the season. His completion percentage dropped to 53.1% while throwing for 411 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a 66.4 passer rating. According to ESPN Research, Darnold’s off-target throws jumped to 30% in that stretch after being 12% in the previous 16 games. Darnold took 11 sacks in the two games, including a playoff-record-tying nine versus the Rams. An untimely Darnold interception and his momentum-killing fumble that was returned for a touchdown played a major part in a 24-3 halftime deficit to the Rams.
A deep Vikings playoff run with a strong showing by Darnold might have put him in a position to practically name his own price along the lines of Jordan Love with the Green Bay Packers.
Both things seemingly are out the window because of how Darnold and Vikings ended the season. Sticking with the original plan where McCarthy would assume the quarterback mantle in 2025 if he didn’t take over at some point this season is a lot more likely, although Darnold returning on a franchise tag is still a possibility.
The quarterback tag number should be $39.637 million with a $275 million 2025 salary cap.
The Vikings will able to accommodate a Darnold franchise tag. Depending upon where the 2025 salary cap is set, the Vikings could have upward to $65 million of cap room before factoring a decision on him into the equation.
There’s a possibility that the Vikings wouldn’t get a 2026 compensatory draft pick by letting Darnold walk in free agency. It would depend on how aggressive the Vikings are in signing free agents. Because of this, using a franchise tag to trade Darnold isn’t out of the question either.
Darnold remains the top quarterback with an expiring contract despite his closing statement. Two alarming games aren’t going to erase Darnold’s breakout 2024 season.
There are some parallels between 2018 first overall pick Baker Mayfield and Darnold, who was 2018’s third overall pick. Mayfield resurrected his career in 2023 on a one-year, $4 million prove-it deal (worth up to $8.5 million through incentives) from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, replacing Brady, who retired.
Unlike Darnold, Mayfield played his best football in the postseason. The Buccaneers advanced to the divisional playoffs for just the third time in 21 years with a wild-card game win over the Philadelphia Eagles before losing to the Lions. He became the first Buccaneers quarterback to ever throw for 300-plus yards and at least three touchdowns in a playoff game, which he did in both contests.
Mayfield returned to the Buccaneers in March on a three-year, $100 million contract, averaging $33,333,333 per year, worth a maximum of $115 million through incentives. There are $50 million in guarantees with $40 million fully guaranteed at signing.
The deal was structured in a team-friendly manner. Mayfield’s first year or 2024 salary cap number was $6.9 million. His fully guaranteed $28.875 million 2024 roster bonus is being treated like signing bonus for salary cap purposes. This $28.875 million is prorated at $5.775 million annually through 2028 because 2027 and 2028 contract years automatically voiding on the 23rd day before the 2027 league year starts were included in the deal. There’s $30 million in the first year of Mayfield’s contract, which is $8.301 million less than the 2024 quarterback franchise tender.
The Vikings might be intrigued by a Mayfield-type deal with a modest 2025 cap number and several million less than the 2025 quarterback franchise tag for Darnold because McCarthy is essentially a rookie, who is an unknown quantity. Darnold’s free agent market being softer than expected would probably be necessary.
Darnold surely has his sights set higher than Mayfield’s deal. The average salary for starting quarterbacks in 2024, excluding those on rookie contracts, is $40,887,398 per year, according to NFLPA data. Overall, Darnold was much better than average this season.
Playing well in the regular season while coming up short in the playoffs is reminiscent of what Cousins did during his six-year tenure with Vikings. Cousins did have a longer track record of production than Darnold. The Vikings only won one playoff game in two postseason appearances with Cousins.
Darnold has two big things in his favor despite ending the season on a sour note. He’s the best quarterback with an expiring contract and the upcoming quarterback draft class is a lot weaker than the 2024 draft class. Six quarterbacks were taken in the first 12 picks last year. There are only two quarterbacks, Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward, who are expected to be first-round picks this year.
If maximizing income isn’t the overriding consideration, Derek Carr could become an important data point. Carr received a four-year, $150 million deal, averaging $37.5 million per year, from the New Orleans Saints in March 2023 with $100 million in guarantees, where $60 million was fully guaranteed at signing.
At a minimum, Darnold would want a neutral $37.5 million-per-year deal that’s neither frontloaded nor backloaded. There would need to be at least $75 million and $112.5 million of money, respectively, through the second (2026) and third contract years (2027). The first two years (2025 and 2026) would likely need to be fully guaranteed at signing as well.
Having a target or asking price is one thing. Getting a team to meet contract demands can be another. It remains to be seen whether the two will be one in the same for Darnold.
Vikings Facing ‘Tension’ With Coach Kevin O’Connell, Insider Says
O’Connell has already left his impression, becoming the first Vikings head coach to lead multiple 13-win seasons — and he did so in only three years. He’s proven to not only excel at the X’s and O’s of offense and quarterback counseling but has also instilled a highly-regarded winning culture in Minnesota.
O’Connell deserves an extension, but given the lackluster end to the Vikings’ 2024 season, there are questions about whether the organization will bend to all of O’Connell’s demands in a new contract.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported on January 14 that there’s “tension” between the two camps entering contract talks.
“There’s tension in the relationship, stemming largely from the fact that he didn’t get an extension after his second season. Now that he’s one year away from free agency, he could be willing to let it ride, if necessary, and hit the market,” Florio wrote. “Here’s the question. Will the two sides agree on consequences of a two-game tailspin? If the Vikings overplay their hand, O’Connell can always say, ‘Screw it.’ And then he can voluntarily coach as a lame duck and make himself available to anyone/everyone in 2026.”
Florio noted that contract talks may be about more than just money, but team control.
“Beyond money, O’Connell could be looking for more say in roster construction. For better alignment with the General Manager. For a situation where he’ll have more of what he needs to put together a team that can both get to the playoffs and win when the postseason arrives.”
Still searching for a playoff win after two first-round exits, the Vikings coach did express some frustrations with a pain point of the franchise — the offensive line.
Asked about improving the protection of the offensive front in the upcoming offseason after Minnesota allowed an NFL record nine sacks against the Rams, O’Connell made his case for a serious rebuild of the offensive interior.
“There’s no question. We’ve got to find a way to solidify the interior of the pocket starting first and foremost,” O’Connell said. “There could be a 1,000 excuses made, but for me, it’s the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we’re going to have to take a long look at. I thought those guys battled. That’s a good, young, fast athletic front. Really when you look at it over the course of the entirety of the season we lost to two football teams and both of them were able to do some similar things against us via pressure, via some four down pressure, non-pressure and non-blitz pressure.”
Minnesota trotted out 2022 second-round pick Ed Ingram for a third consecutive season despite Ingram allowing the most pressures at his position since entering the league.
A move was finally made to Band-Aid the interior with veteran Dalton Risner, however, in back-to-back seasons, that move was made midseason. Risner was injured to begin the year, but the Vikings still stood by Ingram for nearly a month after Risner told local media he was “100% healthy” and ready to play.
Ingram was the last bastion of a 2022 draft class that has had little impact on the team’s success. The decision to continue to start him could have come from a need for the front office to save face for their first draft class.
Paul Allen Suspicious of Kevin O’Connell Trade Rumors; Questions Timing of Initial Report…
As the Minnesota Vikings prepared to play the Detroit Lions, a shockwave was sent through the building. Could head coach, and Coach of the Year candidate, Kevin O’Connell really be gone? Jay Glazer reported as much. Paul Allen wasn’t thrilled by the timing.
“[The most respected NFL insiders], they get so many rumors, and they get put on so many leads, that they probably go with less than 5%. So, they’re really good at parsing their way through them to determine, alright, what’s the agenda here?”
“It’s the timing… I’m just going to lay it out like this. If that rumor came from Kevin O’Connell’s agent, and I don’t even know what his agent’s name is, shame on him. And shame on everybody involved with that rumor, if it came from there. Because it deflects attention from a game that day to secure a one-seed for a 14-win team.”
“I don’t know where this thing came from, man, but I just know what it was like being in Troy, Michigan at the team hotel when it popped, and then the conversations on the sideline before the game, and the conversations after the game, and some conversations I had last night with people about the future of the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings…”
I’m just starting to try to figure out, I’m not going to pursue this, but like… how? Why? Why at that time. And if it came from anybody associated with Kevin O’Connell’s camp, I’m just going to say it as bluntly as I can. Shame on you. That’s selfish and it lacks self-awareness, and it jettisons the totality of a team, and it takes it from ‘thy’ to ‘I’.
Paul Allen on the O’Connell trade rumors (KFAN)
Vikings EDGE Dallas Turner had an underwhelming season, but there shouldn’t be cause for concern
With Turner, he did miss week three with a knee injury, but he played in every game since then.
Despite playing in 17 of the Vikings’ 18 games, there has been mounting concern about where he is at compared to his contemporaries Jared Verse and Chop Robinson, who were both excellent this year. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert raised the latest concern about Turner after playing just eight snaps against the Rams, which is something that has been a common sentiment among the fanbase.
Turner’s game needed to be developed in some aspects. He came into the league at 21 and needed to gain strength to play in the trenches consistently, whereas Verse is 24 and his frame has already filled out.
Before the draft, there were many different comparisons to Turner, but the most common one came from former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores: former New England Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower.
For the Patriots, Hightower was mainly used as an off-ball linebacker, but Bill Belichick and Flores both used Hightower as a chess piece on defense, putting him in positions to exploit the opposing offense, both on and off the ball.
Vikings’ Harrison Smith Makes Emotional Announcement After Loss to Rams
Harrison Smith fought back tears in the aftermath of the Minnesota Vikings‘ season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
His 200th career game, all with the Vikings, brought a magical season to a screeching reality. The 13-year pro faced not only the end of the season but also his football mortality.
In the locker room after the 27-9 loss, Vikings sideline reporter Ben Leber asked Smith what the future may hold for him, and Smith admitted he is unsure about his return for a 14th season.
“I don’t know,” Smith paused. “Probably, chill out for a little bit, figure that out down the road.”
Familiar with the emotions Smith was experiencing, Leber, who played 10 years in the NFL and six with the Vikings, followed up, asking if he had any timeline for his decision to retire.
“I haven’t wanted to think about it, kind of selfishly live in the moment and I’m kind of still in that moment,” Smith replied. It’ll come when it comes.”
Smith, 35, has experienced every high and low of the Vikings franchise since he was drafted in 2012. He’s had three different head coaches. He’s made six playoff appearances, including an NFC title game after the Minneapolis Miracle in 2017.
But his favorite season by far? 2024.
“There’s a lot that goes into this. It’s not strictly players. I just want to give my thanks to everybody that makes it go,” Smith told Leber. “Obviously, I wish we could’ve had a better result today, but it’s a tough pill to swallow right now. It’s been one of the most fun teams I’ve ever played on in any level. There’s a lot to be said about this group and I really just wish I had a couple more weeks with them to be honest.”
In a separate locker room interview With FOX 9’s Dawn Mitchell, Smith, admittingly uncomfortable in front of the camera, bore his heart about fellow starting safeties Josh Metellus and Cam Bynum, both drafted in the past four years.
“I prefer not to have them on camera,” Smith said of the tears he was fighting. “But, um, 44 [Metellus] is a special guy; 24 [Bynum] and 44. I felt like I have been a mentor, of sorts. Seen them grow into really, really special players, great people. So it’s been a pleasure to be around.”
It wasn’t just his teammates’ Disney-inspired dances that made the season one to remember for Smith. Brian Flores played an important role as well.
“I was talking earlier. When you’ve played as long as I have, you don’t feel great every day, but playing this year in this defense was some of the most fun I’ve had,” Smith said. “That starts with Flo.”
“I smile when I think about Harrison because we’re always kind of going back and forth with ideas,” Flores said before the Vikings’ final game. “I think he thinks I’m a little nutty as far as pushing the limits, but I think he enjoys it, too. I think it’s been an opportunity for him to learn and grow.”
One thing that is certain: “I love coaching him. I’ll tell you that right now,” Flores said of Smith.
New York Jets rumored to poach trio of Minnesota Vikings’ personnel to run the franchise
One of the more intriguing candidates for head coach this cycle is Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Not only has he led one of the best defenses over the last two seasons, but has also received rave reviews from inside the building regarding his relationship with players.
SNY’s Connor Hughes, who is a Jets insider, did a mailbag where he mentioned the possibility that Flores could come over as the head coach and bring Ryan Grigson (general manager) and Josh McCown (offensive coordinator) with him.
There’s a lot of buzz going around league circles right now regarding a Ryan Grigson (general manager), Brian Flores (head coach), and Josh McCown (offensive coordinator) pairing. A source in Minnesota actually said that’s been talked about within their building.
Important to note: These are league sources speculating on what they’ve heard regarding the Jets vacancy, not a Jets source telling me what they are going to do. Woody Johnson, Christopher Johnson, Hymie Elhai (team president), Mike Tannenbaum (33rd Team), and Rick Spielman (33rd Team) are the ones in and conducting these interviews. That’s a very small circle. The Jets are keeping things incredibly close to the vest. That’s a good thing. The Jets have had too many people voicing their opinions in recent years.
Aaron Glenn is also in discussion at head coach, as is reported. A lot of people I touch base with believe he’s going to end up in New Orleans, though.
I think Flores would be the perfect hire for the Jets. The Jets desperately need someone to change their culture and instill a disciplined mindset that’s been sorely lacking for a decade-plus. Vrabel would have been perfect to do that. That’s why the Jets did everything they could to hire him – including a last-second call before he took the Patriots job.
Flores, though, is cut from a similar cloth and far from a poor consolation prize. He’d eliminate the nonsense.
That would be a monstrous loss for the Vikings, especially with assistant OC/QB coach Grant Udinski being requested to interview for the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator job vacated by Ryan Grubb. With J.J. McCarthy likely to take over next season, losing both coaches that he was familiar with would be a tough pill to swallow.
Vikings Poach Rival Rookie Star With Starters’ Future Uncertain
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Vikings signed Chicago Bears rookie Reddy Steward to a reserve/futures contract on January 15, their first move after a season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
“Former #Bears corner Reddy Steward is signing a futures contract with #Vikings after being pursued by numerous teams around #NFL per a league source,” Wilson wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Undrafted out of Troy, Steward shined early in Bears training camp, earning first-team reps due to injury before a breakout performance in their final preseason game, snaring two interception, one of which he returned for a pick-six. Steward appeared in one game for the Bears in the regular season, making one tackle and forcing one fumble.
Many Bears fans’ reaction to the news was displeasure. They argued Steward was better than starter and 2023 second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson. However, Steward likely went unprotected into the offseason as primarily a nickel corner. Chicago has plenty of depth in that role.
It would hurt but they would get some more 3rd round comp picks!
Vikings Sign 13 Players to Futures Contracts for 2025
The Vikings on Wednesday announced they have signed 13 players to reserve/futures contracts for 2025.
The following 11 of the baker’s dozen include several who spent all, most or part of the 2024 season with the team:
Quarterback Brett Rypien
Running back Zavier Scott
Linebacker Max Tooley
Outside linebacker Gabriel Murphy
Guard Henry Byrd
Tackle Marcellus Johnson
Tackle Leroy Watson
Receiver Lucky Jackson
Receiver Thayer Thomas
Defensive lineman Jonathan Harris
Defensive lineman Travis Bell
Jim Kleinsasser Elected to 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame
Jim Kleinsasser has been elected to the 2025 NFF College Football Hall of Fame, the NFL and College Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
Kleinsasser, who played 13 seasons for Minnesota (1999-2011), starred at the University of North Dakota before starting his pro football journey. He was a two-time First-Team All American (1997 and 1998) and a three-time All-NCC First-Team selection. He helped UND to a record of 32-10 over four seasons.
Kleinsasser finished his collegiate career with 88 catches for 1,309 yards, averaging 14.8 yards per reception. He totaled 10 receiving touchdowns and also rushed eight times for 91 yards and a score.
“I think everyone became familiar with Jim during his long career with the Vikings, but his dominance and impact as a small-school player was equally impressive,” said Todd Fultz, President of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation. “We are thrilled for Jim and everyone associated with North Dakota football.”
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