Vikings Rumors: DT Clamoring Continues, Roster’s Unique Contracts, and Aaron Rodgers
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 the Vikings being tossed around as a landing spot for a great defensive tackle, the roster’s unique contracts to monitor, and Aaron Rodgers maybe getting a horn on his helmet.
Vikings Rumors: 02.12.2025
Rumor #1 — People Continue Clamoring for an Impact Pass Rusher at DT for MIN
A pass rusher from the defensive tackle spot would be a welcome development for many Minnesotans. Might Milton Williams be of some assistance?
Mr. Williams was drafted No. 73 overall back in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has since played four seasons for the Eagles, proving to be an adept pass rusher as a defensive tackle who comes in at 6’3″ and 290 pounds. The most recent season involved snagging 24 tackles, 5 sacks, 10 QB hits, 7 tackles for loss, 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. He picked up these stats while playing 501 snaps, just 48% of the total for the defense.
In the Super Bowl, Williams snagged a pair of sacks to stand alongside his 4 tackles. The defensive tackle was a key component of Philly’s dominant front.
Dustin Baker thus wonders aloud if Mr. Williams would end up in purple. Janik Eckardt did likewise, writing that he would help to fortify the defensive line. Outside of our sites, love for Williams can be found, as well. Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated mentioned Williams on social media, writing, “Milton Williams in the Super Bowl: 90.9 PFF grade, 4 pressures, 2 sacks, FF, FR. Only 26 years old. I’d give him close to 4/$80M.”
Rumor #2 — The Roster’s Unique Contracts
Plenty of Vikings players moving toward free agency. There are some, though, who are entering a different realm (so to speak).
Backup safety Theo Jackson and punter Ryan Wright are both restricted free agents, giving Minnesota more team control when it comes to getting these players back to the Twin Cities. Pro Football Network offers a bit of a background: “Restricted free agents are players with three years of accrued NFL seasons. Unlike unrestricted free agents, restricted FAs can have their markets limited due to four different tenders. A team that places a tender on a restricted free agent can match an offer sheet from another club. If a draft pick value is attached to the tender, the original team can receive compensation if it lets the player walk.”
Per Over the Cap, the lowest tender is sitting at $3.185 million. Jackson could very reasonably snag that amount, but Wright is more unlikely.
Otherwise, keep an eye on offensive lineman Jeremy Flax, who is listed as a Street/Other Free Agent (SFA). The sense one gets from the OTC page is an SFA “are those who don’t factor at all into the future plans of a team and the team sees fit to let them have an early chance at free agency,” but we’ll see what happens with Mr. Flax and the Vikings.
Rumor #3 — Aaron Rodgers is Getting Tossed into the Broader Vikings Discussion
Collectively, the fine folks who call Minnesota home can be heard speaking in unison: “please no.”
Mr. Rodgers is indisputably one of the greatest, most gifted quarterbacks to play in the NFL. Can’t really be any debate on that point. However, there’s a cost to having him on one’s team; some would insist that the distraction isn’t worth it.
Recently, ESPN’s Adam Schefter was discussing Rodgers’ future with Pat McAfee. Toward the end of the short clip, Schefter shoehorns Minnesota into the conversation: “Is Minnesota going to lose Sam Darnold or are they going to bring him back?” Afterwards, one of the others makes mention of “the Brett Favre prophecy,” a reference to how Green Bay’s former QB1 finished off a highly successful career in Wisconsin before a pit stop with the Jets and then moving onto the Vikings. Rodgers, in theory, could now do likewise.
A very important point to keep in mind: for a deal to get done, Rodgers and the Vikings need to be interested.
Indeed, it’s very plausible that Aaron Rodgers would be interested in continuing his career as a Viking. Doing so would involve playing for a hugely-respected offensive mind while having the benefit of throwing the ball to arguably the NFL’s best collection of skill. The appeal would only intensify if Aaron Jones gets brought back. So, saying that Rodgers would have interest makes a lot of sense. But the Vikings? Would they really have interest?
Last season, Rodgers — who is 41 — completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. His passer rating came in at 90.5.
Expect Minnesota to look elsewhere for quarterback help.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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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.