A Message to All Minnesota Vikings Fans: Enjoy the Quiet Offseason
Josh Frey
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Amidst a historically busy NFL offseason, the Minnesota Vikings have quietly gone about their business. They’ve made their couple moves, most notably signing Za’Darius Smith. Some Vikings fans may be hungry for more moves, which makes sense as Minnesota attempts to go all-in on a championship roster one more time. However, my message to Vikings fans is to enjoy the quiet times while they’re here because it won’t be long before things get crazy.
As things stand right now, the Vikings have a stable situation at QB, a young star at wide receiver that has not only lived up to every ounce of hype but also appears happy in his situation, and a brand-new head coach and general manager with a clean slate. There isn’t a single other team in the NFL that can say that right now.
Fast-forward to the 2023 offseason, and the Vikings will face a number of franchise-altering decisions. The 2020 draft class will officially be eligible for extensions next year, namely Justin Jefferson, KJ Osborn, and Cam Dantzler. Not to mention, the ever-present Kirk Cousins trade rumors are as sure to return to Minnesota next winter as sub-zero temperatures, and Irv Smith will also hit free agency.
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The NFL has quickly become a revolving door for star talent with players leaving as quickly as they come. Vikings fans are mere months from having to navigate the harrowing waters of jersey swaps putting Justin Jefferson into the uniform of all 31 other NFL franchises. With every hour that passes where Minnesota and Jefferson don’t reach a deal, thousands upon thousands of rumors will descend upon the fanbase.
It doesn’t help that Minnesota is all too familiar with star receivers eventually leaving the team in search of greener pastures. Even worse, the price to keep Jefferson in purple will be astronomical. Minnesota may have to say goodbye to other long-time stars like Harrison Smith, Eric Kendricks, or even Dalvin Cook to make room for Jefferson long-term.
At the end of the day, there is no reason to believe that Jefferson and the other young stars on the team will not be on the team in the future. No evidence suggests that at this point. That said, casualties of the salary cap occur virtually every year in the NFL. This is not meant to be a message of doom and gloom, but rather a reminder to live in and enjoy the moment. In the current day, this is a stable franchise; something that cannot be said of a majority of NFL franchises. Take it all in while it’s here and enjoy the peaceful offseason. It may be the last one for a few years.
