The 5 Biggest Offseason Priorities for the Minnesota Vikings
Josh Frey
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The Vikings have a long to-do list now that the offseason has arrived.
After a 7-10 season, Minnesota needs to find a way to retain some of their current talent while also adding more playmakers to the group. Here is a look at the five biggest offseason priorities for the Minnesota Vikings over the next few months.
1. Justin Jefferson Contract Extension
The Justin Jefferson contract discussion begins yet again this offseason after the two sides were unable to reach an agreement last offseason. This needs to be the top priority for the Vikings this season. The Vikings employ the best wide receiver in the league, and they need to find a way to keep him in a purple uniform for years to come.
If you look at the top contenders this season, virtually all of them have a pair of capable stars at the wide receiver position. The 49ers have Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. The Dolphins have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. The duo of Jordan Addison and Jefferson can certainly lead the way for the Vikings, but that requires Jefferson getting a new deal.
2. Figure Out the QB Situation
This offseason needs to be the one where the Vikings commit to a path at the QB spot. This season, they tried to toe the middle of the road with Kirk Cousins on the final year of his contract without finding a true successor for him.
This spring, the Vikings either need to commit to Cousins, or they need to find a player who they believe can be their new QB of the future. Simply signing Cousins to another one-year contract and not doing anything else at the QB position isn’t enough. They need a long-term plan in place by the time the 2024 season rolls around.
3. Re-Sign Danielle Hunter
The Vikings should do everything in their power to retain Danielle Hunter this offseason. After injury questions popped up in both 2020 and 2021, he has bounced back over the past two years with some incredible pass-rushing numbers. He’s recorded 35 tackles for loss and 27 sacks over the past two seasons.
That type of production doesn’t just grow on trees at the NFL level. Hunter single-handedly carried Minnesota’s pass-rush for much of the 2023 season, and if the Vikings were to lose him to another team, that could spell doom for the defense in 2024.
4. Retool the Defense
It is truly remarkable that Brian Flores was able to get as much production as he got out of the Vikings defense this season. This was very similar to the same group of talent that Ed Donatell had in 2022, and in fact, it may have even gone down a touch considering both Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson left the team.
Still, the Vikings cannot rely on the same group going into 2024. They need to find more playmakers at cornerback, edge rusher, and on the interior of the defensive line. This unit was very good in 2023, but they simply didn’t make a ton of game-changing plays to give the offense some extra chances.
5. Solve the RB Mystery
Once again, the running back room was a disappointment in 2023. Ty Chandler is a promising player, but it doesn’t feel like they have a true RB1 on this roster right now. Again, if we look at the current playoff teams, six of them ranked in the top 10 in rushing yards this season. Only the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked worse than 15th.
As much as the QB position is important in the NFL, a stable rushing attack might be equally as important for success. The Vikings ranked 29th in rushing yards this year, and that simply isn’t good enough. Minnesota needs to solve the RB mystery this season.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this piece were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.