Vikings Rumors: Surprise QB Add, A Player Moving Toward $100M+, and a Whiff on Top Player List
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 potentially making a move for a surprise quarterback, one Vikings player moving toward clearing $100 million on his next contract, and a list whiffing when ranking the NFL’s best players.
Vikings Rumors: 02.26.2025
Vikings Rumor #1 — Minnesota May Go After a Surprise QB
In the past, there has been chatter about the Vikings being interested in working with Justin Fields. Does something finally materialize in 2025?
The former Bear most recently put in work with Mike Tomlin’s Steelers. Doing so likely helped the gifted passer since he was leaving behind a poor franchise for one with great leadership and stability. He then had the chance to sit behind Russell Wilson and continue to refine his craft. Any chance Fields can now be viewed as an excellent QB2 to push J.J. McCarthy in 2025?
Last year, Fields went 4-2 while completing 65.8% of his passes for 1,106 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 1 interception. His 62 carries went for 289 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Last offseason, there was a bit of discussion about Fields wanting to come over to the Vikings. Plus, Mike Zimmer confirmed that the Vikings had interest in drafting Fields back 2021.
Fields has been in the NFL for four seasons and will turn 26 in March. Already, he has seen a lot, making him a really intriguing fit for a Vikings team that’s quickly establishing a reputation for getting the best out of its quarterbacks. Kevin O’Connell has pushed Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, and Joshua Dobbs toward the best versions of themselves. Could he do the same with Fields?
Of course, the likeliest option is that Daniel Jones comes back, who is also a tremendous athlete who was snagged high in the draft. If, however, there’s no new deal for Mr. Jones, then Mr. Fields is someone to keep an eye on.
Vikings Rumor #2 — One Viking is Set to Clear $100 Million on the Open Market
Earlier in the week, PurplePTSD offered a piece about Sam Darnold’s pending free agency.
Part of the point of that article was to get a sense of what’s being said about the quarterback by prominent spots within NFL media. All of PFF, ESPN, and CBS rank Darnold within the top-ten of pending free agents. Interestingly, all project a hearty payday for the passer who crumbled in the season’s final two games.
The low-end of the projections puts Darnold around $100 million across a trio of seasons (“around three years and $100 million with strong guarantees,” per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler). The higher end sees the number closer to $40 million (or more) per season. Getting the deal to three or four years would obviously push the total compensation well past $100 million.
Last offseason, Kirk Cousins signed a deal for $180 million across four years. Does Darnold get close to that number? He’s younger and has higher upside.
Vikings Rumor #3 — PFF Whiffed in Its Top 101 Players List
Would appear so.
Only a pair of Vikings made the list of top 101 players: wide receiver Justin Jefferson (24th) and edge rusher Jonathan Greenard (82nd). Both deserve a spot, but what about edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel? After all, we’re talking about a player who was honored as a second-team All Pro and who went to the Pro Bowl.
In PFF’s grading system, Van Ginkel was very good but a bit short of being great. He finished the season with a 71.4 grade, coming in at 33rd among 119 edge rushers under consideration. Greenard, for comparison, finished with an 81.0 grade, good for 16th.
Now, we can still press the point a bit.
Brian Flores asked Van Ginkel to do a bit of everything. The edge rusher lined up along the defensive line for 838 snaps, as an off-ball linebacker for 93 snaps, and in the slot for 42 snaps (playoffs included). By the end of the season, Van Ginkel found himself with 79 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 19 QB hits, 18 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions (both brought back for touchdowns), and 1 forced fumble. The cherry on top? He finished 7th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The do-it-all defender is playing on a two-year, $20 million contract. Look for him to be extended during the offseason.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, 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 social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.