Vikings Rumors: MIN Targeting a Coach to Hire, Plundering Pro Football Leagues, and Salary Cap
As we enter the portion of the year when Vikings rumors start heating up, we’ll be highlighting some of the purple rumblings.
The “Vikings Rumor Wrangle” is a series that keeps readers informed on what’s being whispered about in Vikings Land. In this iteration, we discuss Minnesota pursuing a specific coach for the 2025 staff, the team’s tendency for picking up players from rival leagues, and the salary cap sitting in a good spot.
Vikings Rumors: 01.15.2025
Rumor #1 — The Vikings Could Target a Recently-Fired Coach
Very plausible, yes.
Kevin O’Connell and Jerod Mayo were both drafted by the New England Patriots back in 2008. The connection was brought up at the most recent NFL Combine, noting the draft class detail before asking about O’Connell’s surprise (or lack thereof) of Mayo’s ascension to becoming New England’s head coach for this past season.
Check out O’Connell’s response: “No, no I wasn’t [surprised]. And, in fact, now that he’s officially retired, I think we can start the head coach watch for Matthew Slater now, as well. But I’ve always told those guys my hope was to race them into coaching and get out in front of them as far as I could, because just like they did much superior to me as players, they’re probably going to do the same in this capacity, as well.”
And then key quote in the immediate follow-up thought: “I think the world of Jerod, always have. Tried to possibly work with him multiple times over my coaching journey just cause of the leader he is.” Not long afterwards, O’Connell then reflected on his rookie season, noting that Mayo was one of the “alphas” who helped to lead.
Obviously, things didn’t work out particularly well for New England in 2024 (hence the coaching change). Jerod Mayo led a team that finished last in the AFC East with a 4-13 record. The offense came in at 30th in the NFL be averaging 17 points while the defense came in at 22nd by allowing an average of 24.5 points against per game.
But just because things didn’t work out perfectly for Mayo as a head coach, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be an opportunity for him somewhere. Maybe that somewhere is in Minnesota.
Rumor #2 — Minnesota is Turning to Rival Pro Leagues for Talent
Most recently, there was the decision to add offensive tackle Trevor Reid (a decision that came after an earlier workout).
Last season, Reid put in work in the Canadian Football League. Check out the word from Craig Peters of the team’s website: “Reid is joining the Vikings from the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, where he was the team’s nominee for Most Outstanding Rookie in 2024. He started all 18 regular-season games, as well as the Western Semi-Final.”
Elsewhere on the roster, there are players who put in work in other professional football leagues. One thinks of practice squad receiver Lucky Jackson, someone who put in some time in the XFL and CFL (read more on Vikings website).
And then there’s Jalen Redmond, the upside defensive tackle who has made plenty of plays in limited work in 2024. Across thirteen games with Minnesota, Redmond picked up 18 tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 6 tackles for loss, and 2 passes defended. He got added after showing off some promise in the UFL (read more on the Vikings website).
So, for those keeping score at home, that’s the CFL, XFL, and UFL. Keep an eye on Minnesota and the effort to onboard talent from other leagues.
Rumor #3 — The Vikings’ Cap Space is Looking Healthy
The word is that there’s going to be money to spend.
The Vikings’ salary cap is looking healthy in 2025. Very healthy, even. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap estimates that Minnesota will find itself at 6th in the NFL for open room with an estimated $65,166,347, a tremendous position given that we’re talking about a 14-3 team that’s coming out of it’s (in)famous competitive rebuild.
Keep in mind that a team’s salary cap is akin to a ping pong ball insofar as it gets hit back and forth. Extensions, restructures, and cuts all open the possibility of clearing more room in the present moment. But then there’s also the reality of players needing pay boosts — Andrew Van Ginkel, Josh Metellus, etc. — alongside the need to sign new talent.
Cap space isn’t an end in and of itself. Rather, it’s a means to an end. The point of having open room in the budget is to add players who can help push the Vikings toward a Super Bowl. Owning plenty of cap room is reason for optimism but understand that it disappears quickly and needs to be used wisely.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
Two Essential Vikings Free Agents Poised for a Return
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.