What will the Vikings do at the end of the season with Sam Darnold. The way he is playing makes it very tough to see him leave with nothing in return besides a possible compensatory pick. I think that will get cancelled because the Vikings need to be active in free agency specifically at the cornerback position. It is hard to justify saying vaya con dios to Darnold. It would not be good GMing if Kwesi did that move. He could franchise tag him and keep him for one more year. That would eat up 41M in cap space. Maybe they do that and Darnold agrees to a one year deal that pays him that amount but spreads out some into the void years he has on his deal. Although, I am not sure that they can tag him and keep those void years. Maybe the 5M escalates? How about a one year 40M deal with a 20M signing bonus that spreads over 4 years. They would eat 15M in dead money in 2026 with this idea.

Perhaps Kwesi is much smarter than all of us and that is why he signed Daniel Jones? Jones may agree to a 10-20M deal next year to compete with JJ? If KOC can work wonders with Darnold, why not with Jones? I am guessing (right now and subject to change) that is probably plan A.

Meanwhile, are we overlooking the Bears?

Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Vikings know Sam Darnold will be a ‘sought-after type of guy’ in free agency

“We all know that Sam is gonna be a sought-after type of guy from wherever that may be,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said Tuesday, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Whatever his future ends up being, I know all of us in this building are gonna be happy for him, no matter where that ends up being. I don’t think he has to worry about that anymore.

“The worry might’ve been, OK, this might be my opportunity to play. He’s past all that. He’s proven the doubters, and he’s proven that he can play in this league.”

It hasn’t always been pretty, with 18 turnover-worthy plays, per Pro Football Focus, but Darnold’s stabilizing ability has the Vikings poised to make a postseason run.

“If every single day I’m telling them, ‘Hey, let’s just focus on today, don’t worry about it,’ then it becomes maybe I should focus on more than just today,” O’Connell said earlier this week. “That’s how I would handle it if I was him. I just can’t say enough about how Sam’s handled himself, thinking back to the different kind of moments throughout his journey this year and how he’s maximized every single one coming out of what’s been a very successful season, chasing improvement.”

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NFC Rival Eyeing Vikings’ Brian Flores as Next Head Coach, Insider Says

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is garnering buzz as a candidate for the Chicago Bears head coach position, according to Bears insider Dan McNeil.

A longtime Chicago radio personality, McNeil reported that the Bears have four early targets for their head coach position: Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former defensive-minded Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and Flores.

“Sources confirm these FOUR coaches are on the Bears’ list for HC,” McNeil reported on December 10. “They may want to talk to more candidates, but they’re targeting these four.”

Flores headlines as the top defensive head coach candidate. Flores has transformed Minnesota’s defense into one of the league’s top units, ranking sixth in points allowed (18.5 points per game), fourth in sacks (40), second in pressures (145) and first in interceptions (20).

Meanwhile, Flores feels more like a retread of Matt Eberflus’ style. He’s also admitted that he’s not eager to jump at any vacancy, but the right one could convince him to move on.

“It would have to be the right opportunity, but, yes, I would love to be a head coach again,” Flores told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on November 12, adding that his family loves Minnesota and there might be some “resistance” to make another move.

A quiet controversy throughout the Vikings’ season has been Dallas Turner’s lack of impact his rookie year.

However, Turner has seen the field recently with had one-on-ones with Flores at a time when many rookies hit a mental wall due to the grind of the NFL season.

“He and I had some one-on-ones saying, ‘Hey, what are we doing on this day?” … Which I think was good so we were a little bit more on the same page as far as expectations, as far as the work week and things of that nature. Not saying that he wasn’t working, he’s always working. He’s a hard-working kid but just exactly what are we looking at on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,” Flores said on December 10.

Flores has kept Turner in the fold as depth will be tested entering the final stretch of the season.

“I think the kid’s super talented. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him,” Flores said, adding that their one-on-ones are an opportunity to “just any advice I could give him to make what he’s doing a little bit better. For now and going forward.”

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Matthew Coller: With the Vikings QB position, nobody really knows what’s coming next

The toughest position in sports may be quarterback but the toughest thing in sports to figure out is who is actually good at the quarterback position.

Yes, all of this is tying into the Minnesota Vikings upcoming decision with Sam Darnold. His performance on Sunday against the Falcons was so spectacular that his status for the future has taken center stage as a topic de jour around the NFL.

The Vikings thought highly of Darnold before the season, which is why they paid him $10 million, but they never expected him to be the next Steve Young when he had a career 78.6 QB rating prior to this year. Now he’s third in the NFL in rating and seventh by PFF. The spot Aaron Rodgers was expected to be in.

That’s the problem with using Darnold as a debate topic. What are we supposed to argue about when the real answer is: We don’t really know yet?

But the Vikings really need to see the rest of the season to have a better idea about what to do. They don’t know yet whether they walk out of the stadium after their final game feeling like Darnold gives them the best chance to win the Super Bowl next season or if it was a fun season with big-armed Sam and now they can return to their regularly scheduled program.

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Matthew Coller: Vikings rookie Dallas Turner is adjusting and listening

With third quarters of the season in the books, Turner has only been a rotational player so far. In total he has 202 snaps, one sack, two QB hits and six hurries. There are 15 players on the Vikings defense who have been on the field more often and eight who have more QB pressures.

His numbers and not in the same ballpark as other rookie edge rushers like Jared Verse (59 pressures), Laitu Latu (33 pressures) and Chop Robinson (40 pressures).

But if we end the analysis of his rookie season right there, we are missing a ton of context. He can’t reasonably be compared to those players because the circumstances are much different.

Turner, who doesn’t turn 22 years old until the week before the Super Bowl, joined a team with two of the top outside linebackers in the NFL in Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. They also have veteran rotational pass rushers in Patrick Jones and Jihad Ward.

Because the outside linebacker room has remained healthy throughout the season, the door hasn’t been opened for Turner to jump into someone else’s spot. Jones missing last week’s game against the Falcons marked the first time any of the players in the OLB group were forced to sit out a full game.

There is more to it than being in a crowded room though. Flores is also developing Turner into something more than a pure pass rusher. Based on his usage, the DC seems to see his first-rounder as a do-it-all defensive chess piece rather than a pure sack artist.

Turner has dropped back into coverage 37 times in his rookie year, including seven against the Falcons last week — a season high.

“He was more of an edge guy this past year [in college],” Flores said. “He had played off the ball a little bit in previous years. So we saw a little bit of that kind of coverage ability and just felt like between guys like himself, Gink, JG, Pat, all of them can drop to varying degrees. Dallas is just very, very talented. He can do it at a very high level. So we just try to incorporate that into some of the things we do. And he can both rush and cover at a pretty good clip.”

“Anything coach Flo says, he might not know it but I’m always listening,” Turner said. “He’s a very knowledgeable coach and I’m blessed to have him as my defensive coordinator. My first year, to be around someone with that football caliber, understanding the places that he’s coached in, I’d be an idiot if I didn’t learn from him. I’d be real ignorant if I didn’t learn from him. I told myself that from Day 1. The main thing I got from what he told me was about longevity.”

The Vikings first-rounder is aware of what the other edge rushers in his class have done this year. He knows Verse has become an instant star for the Rams. He also knows that Verse is three years older than him and doing a different job.

“My skill set is still developing, I’m a young player in this league and there’s a lot of stuff that can be worked on,” he said. “Just learning from my mistakes and only making mistakes one time and being a real student of the game and having humility whenever I mess up. Being open to every single piece of information I’m given from my coaches. Being open to all knowledge. Coming to work with the right mindset every day.”

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NFL Playoff Picture: How the Vikings can earn the one seed in the NFC

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Vikings named ‘scheme fit’ for star Hawkeyes playmaker in 2025 NFL Draft

Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report believes RB will indeed be on the team’s radar, and he recently named Minnesota as a top scheme fit for breakout Iowa Hawkeyes star Kaleb Johnson.

Here was his take on a playmaker that Minnesota football fans likely know well:

“The reigning Big Ten Running Back of the Year carried the ball 260 times for 1,242 yards through his first two collegiate campaigns. He exploded this fall with 1,537 yards on 240 carries. He also scored at least one touchdown in every single game this season. When Johnson gets rolling, the 225-pound back plants decisively and gets downhill while running behind his pads. He should fit in nicely with zone-heavy schemes that require backs with enough patience and vision to press the hole and then immediately explode through the openings.”

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Lions’ St. Brown says he’d rather face Vikings than Packers in playoffs

On the latest episode of their podcast, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was asked by his brother, Saints WR Equanimous St. Brown, if he’d rather play the Vikings or the Packers in the playoffs.

He went with the Vikings.

“We haven’t played the Vikings a second time yet, but I would probably say the Vikings,” Amon-Ra said.

That’s an interesting pick, considering one team is 11-2 and has a head-to-head win over the other team, who is 9-4. But St. Brown did also say he doesn’t want to play either of them a third time.

“I don’t wanna play these dudes in the playoffs,” he said. “Playing a team three times in a season just sounds absurd. Three times in one season? That’s like a series. That’s like some NBA s***. … Playing a division team in the playoffs, it gets nutty. You don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

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NFL picks, score predictions Week 15: Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football

Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: Vikings 30, Bears 13

Iyer: “The Bears’ offense is impossible to trust around Caleb Williams, as it’s been a mixed bag all season long no matter who’s calling the plays. The Vikings have a clear, aggressive passing identity, and Kevin O’Connell is rolling with Sam Darnold executing with his wide receivers. The Vikings keep romping to further bury a lost division foe in prime time.”

Bill Bender, The Sporting News: Vikings 34, Bears 21

Bender: “The Vikings are keeping pace with Detroit in the NFC North race, and Sam Darnold has 11 TDs and no interceptions in his past four games. Minnesota has a plus-4 turnover ratio in those games and is 5-1 S/U and 4-2 ATS at home. Caleb Williams hasn’t thrown an interception in seven games, but he’s also taken an average of five sacks per game.”

Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: Vikings 28, Bears 17

Matt Johnson, Sportsnaut: Vikings 31, Bears 20

Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network: Vikings 24, Bears 20

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Kyle Rudolph reveals Daniel Jones’ reasoning behind joining Vikings: ‘Opportunity for me in the future’

Daniel Jones’ time with the New York Giants ended unceremoniously when he was released after a 2-8 start this season, leaving him to find a new home in the NFL for the first time in six years.

Weighing his options, Jones decided to take the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad quarterback role, calling it an “awesome opportunity” to work with head coach Kevin O’Connell and starter Sam Darnold, the ex-New York Jet whose career has been revitalized this season.

Could that be what Jones is looking for with the Vikings after watching Darnold regain his confidence and lead a team to an 11-2 record?

Vikings legend Kyle Rudolph, an ex-teammate of Jones’ during their year together with the Giants, said that could be the plan after spending time with Jones two weekends ago before, during and after the team’s win over the Arizona Cardinals.

“He’s excited to be in that environment in Minnesota,” Rudolph told Fox News Digital while also touching on his surprise at two Minnesota military veterans after teaming up with Polaris and Call of Duty in Week 13. “To be around Kevin O’Connell, Josh McCown, the quarterbacks coach, to be able to kind of take a back seat and learn and really try to reestablish himself as a top-10 pick. A good quarterback in this league and a guy who, by the way, won a playoff game in that building and went to the divisional round.”

But while the Giants stew over their next quarterback amid a terrible campaign, Jones perhaps has found new life in Minnesota.

“What’s to keep DJ from being next year’s Baker Mayfield [or] Sam Darnold?” Rudolph said.

“It’s a huge reason why he chose to go to Minnesota, knowing that there might be an opportunity for me in the future.”

“In today’s world, these young quarterbacks don’t have to play in their first two years,” Rudolph said. “J.J.’s going through what he’s going through with his knee injury, and ultimately, yes, they’ll compete if DJ decides to stay there next year. He has a great opportunity to go out, and it just takes one year.”

For now, though, Rudolph knows Jones is itching to get back on the field, but he’s playing his role well in his first few weeks with Minnesota.

“I think the biggest challenge for DJ is he’s always been the man. He was the sixth overall pick and quarterback for the New York Giants,” Rudolph said. “This past Sunday, he watched the game from the sidelines as the practice squad quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. That’s not easy. As a competitor, I know talking to him, he was like, ‘Man, I just felt useless standing there basically watching a game.’ It’s part of the process.”

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Yore Mock

Minnesota Receives:

2025: Round 2, Pick 33

2025: Round 4, Pick 102

New York Receives:

2025: Round 1, Pick 28

…

Minnesota Receives:

2025: Round 2, Pick 34

2025: Round 6, Pick 178

Las Vegas Receives:

2025: Round 2, Pick 33

…

Minnesota Receives:

2025: Round 4, Pick 106

2025: Round 6, Pick 213

Cleveland Receives:

2025: Round 4, Pick 102

…

34. Derrick Harmon DL Oregon 6’5” 310

97. Alfred Collins DL Texas 6’5” 320

106. Jonah Monheim IOL USC 6’5” 310

141. Chris Paul Jr. LB Mississippi 6’1” 235

163. Jonas Sanker S Virginia 6’1” 210

178. Luke Kandra IOL Cincinnati 6’4” 323

213. Cameron Skattebo RB Arizona State 5’10” 225

243. Nohl Williams CB California 6’1” 200

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