Purple Rumor Mill: Dalton Risner’s Status, Surprising Darnold Theory, Bears Stealing a Vikings Coach
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the November 17th edition.
Purple Rumor Mill: Dalton Risner’s Status, Surprising Darnold Theory, Bears Stealing a Vikings Coach
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the Vikings, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
Here’s the second batch of the week. Yesterday’s can be read here.
Rumor: The Vikings should bench Ed Ingram for Dalton Risner.
According to Bleacher Report, Minnesota should take the plunge with Risner and send Ingram to the bench. BR recommended one new starter for each team this week, and for Minnesota, Risner got the nod.
“The Vikings don’t have many current weaknesses but guard is one of them, especially Ed Ingram who has been a disappointment since being a second-round pick two years ago. Meanwhile, Risner recently came off injured reserve and returned to the team’s active roster,” BR’s collective staff wrote this week.
Risner suffered a back injury in the summer and was only recently activated to the 53-man roster. Some onlookers thought Minnesota would shove him into the starting OL fivesome, but the Vikings stood pat with Ingram.
This is Bleacher Report theory. It’s unclear if Minnesota will demote Ingram. It might take an injury for Risner to wiggle into the starting lineup — like last year.
Rumor: Even if Minnesota wins the Super Bowl in February, it won’t bring back Sam Darnold.
Per the “Voice of the Vikings,” KFAN’s Paul Allen, Minnesota won’t hand Darnold a ginormous contract, even if it wins the Super Bowl season.
Allen delivered the bombshell on his radio show this week and explained, “I mean, if Sam Darnold wins the Super Bowl as QB of the Minnesota Vikings, he’s not getting 100 million guaranteed here. He’s not because Kwesi in that group has worked so hard for two and a half years to get salary cap flexibility.”
The theory is a bit stunning for one reason. Ask any Vikings fan anywhere “What happens with Sam Darnold if the Vikings win the Super Bowl this year?” — and most will say, “Give him whatever he wants.”
Re-signing Darnold for $40 million per season or more would drag Minnesota back to the Kirk Cousins era when fans endlessly debated whether the QB1 was worth the money. With McCarthy, until 2028, no such debate applies.
It’s just wild that Darnold could actually win a Super Bowl with the Vikings and not receive an invitation to come back.
Rumor: The Bears could grab Viking QB coach Grant Udinski for its offensive coordinator job in 2025.
After the Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron this week, Bleacher Report spitballed multiple would-be applicants for the Bears’ 2025 job, a bit of a weird exercise because Chicago will likely have a brand new coaching staff next season. Nevertheless, Minnesota quarterback coach Grant Udinski grabbed a mention.
“Grant Udinski has elevated his status in coaching circles with the work he’s done during the last two seasons as the Minnesota Vikings’ assistant quarterbacks coach. Minnesota surprisingly finished 2023 as a top-five passing offense despite losing starting quarterback Kirk Cousins halfway through the season to a torn Achilles,” BR’s Alex Kay wrote. “Udinski helped get the most out of unheralded backups such as Nick Mullens and Joshua Dobbs, salvaging an otherwise lost campaign.”
Kay continued, “This year, Udinski and the Vikings have accomplished something three other teams couldn’t: They’ve helped turn Sam Darnold into a legitimate starting NFL quarterback. After flaming out with the New York Jets, the No. 3 overall pick in 2018 spent time with both the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers before landing in Minnesota this offseason.”
“While he was expected to serve as a bridge to 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, Darnold’s strong play could result in him keeping a hold on the job for a while longer.”
It’s a little strange to theorize Chicago’s next offensive coordinator now, as former running back Thomas Brown has taken the interim gig after serving as the team’s passing game coordinator. Instead, folks should perhaps wonder who replaces Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.
“While the Vikings would hate to lose Udinski to one of their biggest rivals, the chance to run an offense in Chicago and jump-start Williams’ career could be too alluring for the up-and-coming coach to pass up,” Kay concluded.
BR is correct, though, that Udinski will get offensive coordinator nibbles before too long. He’s helped polish Darnold into a Top 15 starter, and his team is 7-2 through 10 weeks.
49ers Release Former Viking
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 MIN 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.
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