3 Vikings Rumors and Whether to Buy or Sell
Once upon a time, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made his living by deciding whether to buy or sell equities (a story that has been told a zillion times).
Doing our best impression of the numbers nerd operating as Minnesota’s top executive means considering some of the Vikings rumors circulating online. In some instances, there’s very good reason to be connecting the dots. In other instances, less so. Consider some of the rumblings out there and whether there’s merit to the ideas.
Buy/Sell on the 3 Vikings Rumors
Rumor #1 — The Vikings Will Trade for Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow isn’t part of the plan. Joe Burrow is someone so sensational that changing plans make sense.
That being said, there’s next to no chance he becomes a Viking.
Sure, there have been rumblings about him being unhappy in Cincinnati (who wouldn’t be unhappy within that disaster of a franchise?). There is an elite twosome catching the ball and then not a pile more. Trey Hendrickson is a tremendous edge rusher, but he wants out, as well. Reasonably enough, Burrow articulated some frustration with the media.
If Minnesota were to make a move, there would need to be a minimum of two 1st-Round selections sent over alongside J.J. McCarthy. Anything less than a pair of 1sts and the No. 10 pick from the 2024 NFL Draft means that Cincinnati reasonably hangs up the phone. Could the Vikings justify handing over so much, especially since there’s then a beefy contract commitment on the back end alongside the realities of Joe Burrow being a touch older and possessing a history of injury?
In short, yes. The Vikings would be very glad to onboard Joe Burrow despite these issues. He’s one of the game’s elite passers who has a built-in connection with Justin Jefferson. At the very least, Adofo-Mensah needs to make a phone call, but the conversation isn’t likely to go anywhere.
Rumor Verdict: Sell.
Rumor #2 — The Vikings are Navigating Brian Flores Interest in the NFL
Is the NFL interested in Vikings DC Brian Flores? Truth be told, I can’t say for certain. If not, then there’s a great issue with the NFL (a wholly separate issue).
The basic reality is that Coach Flores is among the game’s top strategists and leaders. He’s one of the 32 best coaches in the league, meaning he deserves one of the head coach openings. Whether that arrives remains to be seen.
Working against him is his lawsuit against the league. So, too, is the Tua Tagovailoa controversy not helping him. And then there’s the basic reality of being a defensive coach. The league has made moves for defensive coaches in recent years — Mike Macdonald in Seattle, Aaron Glenn in New York, and so on — but franchises tend to prefer someone who can directly dig into developing a passer, especially rebuilding teams.
All that being said, I completely buy that the league is interested in Coach Flores. Some front office out there recognizes that he’s fantastic at what he does. Whether he packs up to leave Minnesota remains to be seen, but he’s going to get consideration.
Rumor Verdict: Buy.
Rumor #3 — The GM is Going to be Fired
Not likely, folks.
The 8-8 Vikings aren’t anyone’s idea of an impressive team. Working against Minnesota is the various mistakes and missteps from the team’s top executive.
Signing Jeff Okudah didn’t work out. The Jonathan Allen, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and Javon Hargrave signings have all been somewhat underwhelming. The trade for Adam Thielen was brutal and moving on from Harrison Phillips looks poor, too.
What about failing to add legitimate competition for J.J. McCarthy? Brutal.
The ultra discouraging reality hovering around all of these mistakes is a four-year run of poor drafting. Some hits are present (including when we wrangle in the UDFA talent) but the overall effort has been among the league worst within the time frame.
All that being said, the GM isn’t going anywhere. There’s a practical reality of him just signing an extension coming off a very promising 2024 season. But then there’s a broader assessment that acknowledges that his work has been a mixed bag, one that contains both good and bad.
He therefore gets at least one more season. Don’t be surprised if Mr. Adofo-Mensah makes some shrewd, savvy deals in 2026 that age very well.
Rumor Verdict: Sell.
