Nov 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) reacts after an interception with linebacker D.J. Wonnum (98) against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings kick off the regular season this Sunday at the New York Giants.
The team finished 7-10 in 2023 and will hope to sweeten that standing with Sam Darnold at quarterback in 2024. Rookie passer J.J. McCarthy will miss all of 2024 with a torn meniscus.
Meanwhile, gobs of Vikings players — more than 35 — will be free agents next March, and six prominent players are scheduled to enter their final season with the club. Players who just signed (Sam Darnold and Aaron Jones, for example) were not included. The players are listed in ascending order (No. 1 = most important Viking entering a final contract year).
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah extended Mullens’ contract last offseason, and the deal turned heads because it was longer than the young executive’s go-to one-year deals. Yet, with Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy in the house, 2024 could be Mullens’ last in purple. Otherwise, Mullens could back up McCarthy indefinitely starting in 2025.
The Vikings suddenly have abundant outside linebacker depth, including Jones II, who made the 53-man roster last week.
And so far, without any hint of a contract extension, Jones II will play out his deal in 2024.
This one may be merely in spirit. Murphy could be back in 2025. He told KSTP’s Darren Wolfson earlier this summer, “I gotta say, since I’ve been here since day one, I fell in love, so I don’t want to go nowhere. I want to stay here for the rest of my career. So I’m gonna try to work my ass off to stay here for sure.”
Otherwise, Murphy signed a two-year deal last offseason, making 2024 the final season in Minnesota. All signs, though, point to his return.
Bynum’s presence on this list could be moot by the start of the regular season. Minnesota could extend his contract before Sunday, as the team has a history of Friday or Saturday last-minute bookkeeping before gameday.
After one year of deployment in Brian Flores’ defense, Bynum ranked as one of the NFL’s best safeties per Pro Football Focus, checking it at No. 22 among peers at his position. He should command a decent contract extension before too long, but if not, 2024 is scheduled as the last go-round in Minnesota for Bynum.
Phillips came aboard at the beginning of the Kevin O’Connell era, and this season is the final of a three-year deal. A terrific teammate, person, football player, and team captain, Phillips has helped hold down the innards of Minnesota’s defensive line for two years running.
He turned 28 in January and will likely be re-upped soon or next offseason. However, if none of that shakes down, he’d hit the open market in six months.
Smith is 35 years old, and based on his hard-hitting playing style, it’s a gridiron miracle that he’s still playing at a relatively high level.
Nonetheless, any new season could be his last. His actions have proved he wishes to remain a Viking for life. So, unlike others on this list, Smith’s “final season” chatter isn’t about impending free agency; it’s about retirement. The Pioneer Press claimed last month that this year is Smith’s last.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.