Vikings sign rookie QB Nate Stanley
Joe Johnson
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The 2020 NFL Draft felt like a lifetime ago. With the ‘Will they? Won’t they’ COVID related ambiguity, it feels as if the fifteen players drafted in April should not only have been signed by now, but they should also be close to retirement.
But, it’s only July and up until today none of those players had signed with the Vikings. With the changes to rookie contracts around a decade ago, each player essentially knows how much they’re going to make (although there has seemingly been more and more wiggle room in that regard in the last few seasons).
However, if it were any other off-season this wouldn’t be abnormal, as training camp hasn’t started yet and that is typically the impetus for rookie deals.
Camp is still scheduled for the end of the month, although it still feels sort of tenuous as COVID is worse now than it has ever been and so the idea of returning to normal seems to be more wishful thinking as each passing (new COVID case record breaking) day than any sort of actual plan.
Either way, the team is moving forward as if things are any other season as evidenced by the signing of their 13th pick from April’s draft, Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley.
.@njstan4 is the first member of the #Vikings 2020 draft class to sign his rookie contract.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 13, 2020
According to Vikings.com:
“The native of Menomie, Wisconsin, was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention by the conference’s coaches and won the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award in 2019 when he completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 2,951 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He finished his career in Iowa City ranked second in school history in career touchdown passes (68), passing yards (8,302), attempts (673) and completions (1,155).“
Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press has details on his contract:
Deal for #Vikings 7th-round pick Nate Stanley, who signed today, is base salaries of $610,000 in 2020, $780,000 in 2021, $895,000 in 2022 and $1.01 million in 2023 with a $77,548 signing bonus. Total deal, which is nonguaranteed except for signing bonus, is four years, $3,372,548
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) July 13, 2020
Stay tuned to VikingsTerritory.com and purplePTSD.com as we get closer to training camp and the season!