Vikings Offseason Week 3: What We’ve Learned

The 2024 Minnesota Vikings were supposed to be an average team at best following J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending injury, and nobody believed Kevin O’Connell’s club would be playing meaningful football in January.
Vikings Offseason Week 3: What We’ve Learned
But they did. The disappointing season finale with two consecutive losses ended the Super Bowl dream, and we’ve reached the cruel offseason.
This is what we learned in the third week of the 2025 offseason.
1. Brian Flores Is Staying

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores interviewed for three head coach openings, but all three ‒ Jets, Bears, Jaguars ‒ hired someone else.
All but one head coaching throne is filled; the remaining one is in New Orleans. The Saints, however, haven’t been interested in Flores and reports have surfaced suggesting Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will get the job once he is eligible to be officially hired after the Super Bowl.
The Vikings will get a third year with Flores overlooking the defense, and the continuity could pay dividends.
2. Grant Udinski Is a Rising Star Coach

Assistant quarterbacks coach and assistant offensive coordinator Grant Udinski has teams lining up to interview the young coach. He has already taken five offensive coordinator interviews.
In Minnesota, he has made a name for himself by mentoring J.J. McCarthy.
While it is unclear whether he will exit the Twin Cities within the next days or weeks, the leaguewide interest won’t disappear anytime soon, and he will most likely land that promotion at the latest in the 2026 offseason.
3. Cam Bynum Could Return

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has to manage a deep free-agent class that includes numerous starters. Among them is safety Cam Bynum, whose rookie contract is about to expire.
Reports at the end of the 2024 season indicated that he wouldn’t return for a fifth season, but things might have changed.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler declared, “The Vikings and Bynum have had discussions about an extension. While nothing has materialized, both sides are open to it, and this could get done before mid-March.”
4. Mike Zimmer’s Retirement

Longtime Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer had an underwhelming season in his return to Dallas. The defense he coordinated was one of the worst in the NFL. Once a premier defensive mind, his last three units (the rosters were not always in his favor) couldn’t live up to his high standards.
At the age of 68, Zimmer told NFL reporter Ed Werder that he plans to retire this offseason.
He spent over 40 years in coaching and was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings between 2014 and 2021.
5. Brian O’Neill’s Pro Bowl Nomination

When the Pro Bowl rosters were announced a few weeks ago, the Vikings were prominently featured with Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson on offense and Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Byron Murphy on defense, as well as long snapper Andrew DePaola.
With players dropping out to prepare for the Super Bowl, Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson opened the door for the alternates, and Minnesota’s veteran tackle Brian O’Neill was named to his second Pro Bowl.
He has handled the right tackle duties since 2018 and has been one of the most consistent players in the NFL. It is a deserved honor for a reliable staple in Minnesota’s offense.

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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