Tuesday Is the Next Key Day in Vikings’ Offseason
Entering the 2025 offseason, the Minnesota Vikings had a lengthy to-do list. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is asked to revamp a roster that is scheduled to lose a bunch of contributors in free agency, but he has some cap space to overcome it, especially if he can replicate last year’s outstanding signing period.
Tuesday Is the Next Key Day in Vikings’ Offseason
The entire cornerback group is part of that group of players without a deal for the upcoming offseason. Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and even backup Fabian Moreau could leave the franchise on March 10th. The starting safeties Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum have an uncertain future, too.
On offense, running back Aaron Jones and quarterback Sam Darnold are certainly the top performers on expiring contracts. They both signed one-year deals last offseason.
The signal-caller, Darnold, will be in the spotlight all offseason. After resurrecting his career, the Pro Bowler is the top quarterback on the market. The Vikings still haven’t publicly declared their plans for the QB position. Both options, giving the keys to 2024 rookie J.J. McCarthy and keeping Darnold around for at least another season (if not on a long-term deal), are still on the table.
The front office, the player, and his representation can work on a contract extension at any point. However, Darnold will be an unrestricted free agent on March 12, and his agent can talk to other teams starting March 10. Engaging all QB-needy and interested teams into a bidding war makes the most sense for him in order to maximize his salary.
If the Vikings want to prevent that, they have one tool: the franchise tag.
Every season, all 32 franchises have the option to keep one free agent in their building by using the franchise tag. Players hate that tool because it doesn’t give them any long-term security and prevents the previously mentioned aspects of the open market.
The window to apply the tag opens on Tuesday, February 18, and will remain open until March 4, around a week before free agency starts.
Darnold’s tag would be a one-year deal worth roughly $41 million. That number comes from the top five salaries at the player’s position over the last five years.
Theoretically, the Vikings could also pay about $20 million for one of Bynum and Murphy. The last time the organization used the franchise tag was in 2020, when they prevented safety Anthony Harris from becoming a free agent.
In Darnold’s case, head coach Kevin O’Connell has greatly emphasized that his passer has earned the right to be a free agent ‒ and not just any free agent, the best QB in this year’s market.
That could imply that the Vikings don’t plan on using the tag, but that is speculation.
Speaking of speculation, the tune of big-time reporters has changed in the past few weeks. While Darnold was favored to be back when the offseason started (and definitely before his late-season downfall), now McCarthy seems to be the more likely starter.
At the end of the day, all options are still on the table, but the Vikings will have to reveal at least part of their strategy between Tuesday and March 4, depending on their usage (or lack thereof) of the franchise tag.
Darnold, 27, tossed 35 passing touchdowns and over 4,300 yards in his career-best season, but it remains to be seen where he will spend his 2025 campaign.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt