3 Vikings Rumors: Metellus Momentum, The LG1 Push, and Time to Trade
Vikings rumors are still lingering, so 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 Josh Metellus holding out (he isn’t), the young guy who keeps marching toward the LG1 job, and Minnesota now being able to jump into some trading.
Vikings Rumors: 06.04.2025
Vikings Rumor #1 — Josh Metellus Could Be Holding Out
Craig Peters noticed that Josh Metellus was missing from OTAs. There was then some speculation about whether the underpaid safety is holding out.
The short answer to that question: no, not likely. In fact, a more recent promo clip from the franchise includes Metellus running onto the field. If Metellus was holding out — he wasn’t — then it ended in an unbelievably short manner.
Keep in mind, as well, that Metellus did show up for a previous portion of the offseason. While doing so, Metellus stepped in front of the microphone, even jumping into some chatter about his unsigned extension.
“That’s private matters,” the safety notes. He explains that “for the most part, that’s private” while then saying he prefers to keep these conversations among family, his agent, and the general manager. He does, however, describe his goal: “I would love to be here my whole career.” Look for an extension before September.
Vikings Rumor #2 — Donovan Jackson Keeps Marching Toward Being the LG1
Kick it back to Peters, who makes the simple observation that Jackson is getting reps with the starters (as Kevin O’Connell said).
Donovan Jackson is being leaned on to do work at LG1, his most natural position after being kicked out to LT1 for Ohio State for injury fill-in duty. The update: “New center Ryan Kelly manned the pivot and was joined on his left by first-round pick Donovan Jackson. Blake Brandel, who started at left guard in 2024, moved to right guard, where free agent addition Will Fries is projected to start. Fries is on the mend from a broken leg he suffered last season.”
The current outlook suggests that Jackson is going to step into the top spot at left guard. Brandel, meanwhile, will likely be tasked with being a utility player, an offensive lineman capable of playing (literally) all five o-line positions.
Anything less than Mr. Jackson being the Week 1 starter would qualify as a disappointment. Being snagged at No. 24 already made those expectations clear to see and nothing from the offseason has caused us to even tap the breaks (let alone slow down).
Vikings Rumor #3 — The Vikings Can Now Trade with More Ease
In theory, now is the time for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to get down to business, at least when it comes to trading. Dustin Baker recently made the observation, “Trades are also easier to negotiate financially after June 1st, so monitor that for Minnesota, too. Adofo-Mensah could swing a trade for a cornerback or tight end per current roster needs. A player like cornerback Jalen Ramsey has recently inhabited the team’s trade rumor mill.”
The GM has almost certainly had conversations with his colleagues around the NFL about potential deals. In time, perhaps, one (or two) get across the finish line. The likeliest path, though, is going to require some patience.
Put differently, look for August shuffling rather than June shuffling. A lot of teams want to learn more about the talent that’s in-house. Why give away a valuable asset — i.e. a draft pick(s) — if there’s a strong player already on the payroll? Exceptions exist (the Eagles and 49ers just did business) but the general rule still applies.
Needs for a team can emerge when players fail to grow as hoped and/or injuries run amok on a roster, an all-too-real reality that’s nevertheless unfortunate.
The Vikings have picks aplenty from 2026 onward. So, too, do they have some cap space: roughly $18.5 million. Seeing a trade before September arrives won’t be surprising.
Editor’s Note: Information from 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 and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
