Vikings Sign a Popular Rookie to Offseason Roster
Just a few days ago, Vikings fans were analyzing the NFL playoff picture and their club’s possible route to reaching the Super Bowl in New Orleans. A dreadful outing against the Los Angeles Rams has ended Minnesota’s magical 14-3 regular season, though, sending the organization into the long offseason.
Vikings Sign a Popular Rookie to Offseason Roster
In that offseason, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is once again in the spotlight because he has to form a competitive roster for the upcoming season. Like every year, the first step is to fill out the roster with some future contracts, slowly elevating the number of players under contract.
On Tuesday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X: “Former Bears corner Reddy Steward is signing a futures contract with Vikings after being pursued by numerous teams around NFL per a league source.”
Reddy Steward is the new guy’s name, and the fact that other teams have requested his services is intriguing.
Future contracts are regular NFL contracts, including minimum salary, cap charges, signing bonuses, and other normal contract terms. However, the contracts don’t take effect until the new league year starts. That new league year will begin on March 12th at 3 pm CT.
In the meantime, the signed players will be stashed on the reserves/futures list and can’t be signed by a different organization.
Back to Steward, he was a rookie in the 2024 season. The 23-year-old cornerback spent his college career at Troy, where he was a first-team All-Sun Belt twice. He went undrafted and signed with the Chicago Bears.
Because the Bears played in the Hall of Fame game, Steward suited up for four preseason games. He was targeted 15 times, allowing 12 catches for 69 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. His play earned him solid grades from Pro Football Focus, and the two picks surely raised some interest.
The Bears ultimately waived him but kept him on the practice squad throughout the season. He made his NFL debut and only appearance in Week 9 against the Cardinals, logging a total of 18 defensive snaps. Once again, he delivered a splashy play, forcing a fumble against Marvin Harrison Jr.
Now that his contract is expiring, the Vikings have added the intriguing undrafted rookie for his sophomore season.
Minnesota’s cornerback group is uncertain at this point, as the top players Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau are all scheduled to become free agents in March, leaving only Mekhi Blackmon, Dwight McGlothern, and NaJee Thompson.
Blackmon suffered a torn ACL in training camp, which forced him to sit out his entire sophomore campaign. He showed promise in his rookie season. McGlothern starred in the preseason, and the Vikings carried him on the 53-man roster the entire season, making sure no other team could poach him off waivers or the practice squad.
In a pre-draft interview with The Draft Network, Minnesota’s new 5-10 defender described himself:
I feel like I can address multiple needs for a team through my versatility. My work ethic speaks for itself. Coming from Troy, I’m used to playing with a chip on my shoulder. I’ve had to earn everything I have.
I just want to prove myself against the best talent at the highest level. I’m looking for an opportunity to showcase my abilities on the field. Work ethic and football IQ will take me a long way. Every team would benefit from adding a guy like that.
Regardless of the Vikings’ moves to fill the cornerback room, the preseason duo of McGlothern and Steward could be fun to watch, and he might have some potential.
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