Exiled Vikings Player Projected to Sign Monster Contract
A player the Vikings essentially gave up on could be in line for a massive payday this offseason.
Last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings handed free agent guard Will Fries a huge contract, likely way more than he was worth. This time, 2022 2nd-rounder Ed Ingram could do the same thing. His rookie contract expires in March, and he is expected to be in high demand.
Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston wrote this week, “Personnel upgrades are also seen as essential. The Texans are expected to prioritize the following areas: Offensive line improvements, including contract talks with tackle Tytus Howard and negotiations with guard Ed Ingram, whose strong season could command $15–18 million annually.”
Just over ten months ago, the Vikings sent Ingram to Houston in exchange for a 6th-round pick they essentially rerouted to the 49ers to acquire running back Jordan Mason. Viewed as a draft bust, Ingram was benched during the 2024 campaign. Dalton Risner replaced him in the starting lineup during the second half of the season.
In Houston, however, his play stabilized and he was quite productive, especially if you believe in Pro Football Focus and their grading system.
PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote last month, “Houston’s offense still underperformed this last year, but its offensive line took noticeable steps forward — with Ingram leading the charge. The former Viking played to a career-high 78.3 overall PFF grade, including a 79.9 PFF run-blocking grade. The 26-year-old ended the year in the 91st percentile in positively graded run-blocking play rate as well, although pass protection remains more of a concern.”
He’s graded like a good starter, perhaps even borderline Pro Bowler after years of collecting underwhelming grades in the Twin Cities. Vikings fans hoped for a jump in his sophomore campaign and once again entering Year 3, but pretty much everyone agreed that he needed to be replaced.
Whether his play fully matched the grades is debatable. He’s certainly one of the better run blockers in the game, while his pass protection remains an issue.
Either way, with more than half of offensive lines struggling in the NFL, there’s always a high demand for blockers, especially those that are coming off a strong season. Ingram will turn 27 in a week and has a 2nd-round draft pedigree.
Ingram’s ‘s projected salary of $15-18 million would rank him between 11th and 16th in the NFL among offensive guards. One of those with a paycheck in that range is Will Fries, the Vikings’ big-time free-agent add from last year. His average annual salary is $17,544,000.
He’ll be on the team in 2026 but the contract is structured in a way that makes it possible for Minnesota to move on after two of the five seasons. Much preferred, of course, would be improved play from the former Colts protector in his second season next to Brian O’Neill.
Ingram will go down in Vikings history book as a bust, but he has seemingly revived his career in Houston. The Texans are already over the salary cap and need to clear some money, though that is certainly doable. However, some areas of the team seek reinforcements and Will Anderson Jr. is eligible for his top dollar deal this offseason.
This has the potential to be an uncomfortable development for Minnesota. The Vikings moved on from Ingram for almost nothing, and now he might get paid like a top-15 guard. If that projection proves accurate, it’s another reminder of how quickly evaluations can flip in the NFL — and how costly it can be to give up too soon on young linemen and players in general.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.