Purple Rumor Mill: Justin Fields as a Viking, T.J. Hockenson’s Return, Josh Metellus
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s Vikings rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the September 7th edition.
Purple Rumor Mill: Justin Fields as a Viking, T.J. Hockenson’s Return, Josh Metellus
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the purple team, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
Here’s the first batch of the week. All past rumors can be read here.
Rumor: The Vikings — for sure — sought Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Mike Zimmer granted a mind-boggling interview last week. Among many meaty topics, he expressed retrospective dismay over Spielman’s selection of quarterback Kellen Mond in the 2021 NFL Draft. “The first round, Rick tried to trade up for Justin Fields, who hasn’t done anything. When he picked Mond, I walked out of the room. I left the building,” Zimmer said.
“I didn’t even talk to him on the phone. Rick said, ‘You mad at me?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I think you took four backups when we had guys there I thought were starters.’ From that time on, it just kind of got worse between us. And I’m not saying nothing was my fault. I’m sure there were plenty of things that were my fault.”
So, there you have it, Vikings historians: Once and for all, the purple team targeted Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft but couldn’t afford his trade price tag.
Rumor: T.J. Hockenson may return for the Week 5 London game against the New York Jets.
Most followers of the team have realized that Hockenson would not be a part of the lineup this Sunday at the New York Giants, but a return after four games or so feels more likely than ever.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis opined on Hockenson’s return last weekend: “Week 5 is a fair projection. That’s when he is eligible to return from the physically unable to perform list. His presence on the list means he can practice, and he won’t need any runway in terms of learning the system. Don’t be surprised if he suits up in London against the New York Jets.”
“Hockenson is already sprinting and running routes on side fields. Had the Vikings prioritized the team over the player, they probably could have pushed him to return in these first few weeks,” Lewis added. “But from the outset, that’s not how they’ve viewed this process, even working in tandem with Hockenson’s private trainers in Nashville to establish trust.”
Week 5 feels like a reasonable time to daydream about Hockenson’s return.
Rumor: Josh Metellus could receive a massive extension.
CBS Sports published an article on Wednesday, one day before the NFL’s start of the regular season, detailing three players who could be next in line for “massive extensions” after Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II secured a four-year, $96 million contract.
Oddly, per Cody Benjamin, Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus made the cut.
“The former sixth-round pick isn’t necessarily on the national radar, but Vikings fans know this man as the Swiss Army knife of Minnesota’s defense,” Benjamin wrote about Metellus on Wednesday.
Name-dropping Metellus was a bit strange because a) He wouldn’t make too many such lists for the next big extension in the NFL b) Safeties don’t typically break the bank like cornerbacks or players at other premium positions.
Benjamin added, “Forever shifting between roles on the back end, be it safety or nickel corner or even linebacker, Metellus was always around the ball (116 tackles, 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, five pass breakups) for Brian Flores in 2023, and Harrison Smith won’t be around forever.”
Metellus would have to shapeshift into an All-Pro to get a “massive” extension.
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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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