The 6 Biggest Developments of the Summer for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings begin the regular season in 14 days, traveling to New Jersey for a date with Daniel Jones’ New York Giants.
The 6 Biggest Developments of the Summer for Vikings
Vikings training camp ended this week, and the final preseason game occurred yesterday.
And if you’re just returning to Vikings football for the 2024 season, these are the six biggest developments of the summer, ranked in ascending order of importance (No. 1 = most important).
6. Stephon Gilmore Is in the House
This Super Bowl champion has ties to defensive coordinator Brian Flores from the New England Patriots days, and Minnesota needed cornerback help after Khyree Jackson’s tragic passing + Mekhi Blackmon’s ACL tear in July.
Help arrived in Gilmore, who will presumably start for the 2024 Vikings.
Fans asked for Gilmore all summer — and they got him earlier this week. He’ll start immediately for the purple team, strengthening a rather weak cornerback section of the depth chart due to unfortunate happenstance.
5. Christian Darrisaw Extended — Early
Most purple fans didn’t believe Darrisaw’s extension in Minnesota would hit until next offseason. But Darrisaw inked a four-year, $113 million deal, connecting him to the purple depth chart through the end of 2029. As it stands at the moment, he’s scheduled to be the last man standing on the Vikings’ roster.
It’s a done deal, and it was rather unexpected this soon.
4. Mekhi Blackmon Lost for the Year
It felt like the moment training camp kicked off, Blackmon got injured, tearing his ACL, and is now on tap to miss all of his second season. And this was all a few weeks after cornerback Khyree Jackson died.
The summer was not kind to the Vikings’ secondary. Thankfully for their sake, they found a way to sign the aforementioned Gilmore and Fabian Moreau.
3. Justin Jefferson Contract Saga Ends … Wonderfully
This contractual rigamarole lasted a year and a half and had Vikings fans on the edge of their seats at times, mainly because NFL media tried to sell Jefferson as trade bait. Trading Jefferson was as serious as an episode of Looney Tunes, but fans were happy to see the deal finalized in June.
He’s now a Viking until the end of 2028, earning a four-year, $140million deal. Well done.
2. J.J. McCarthy Lost for All of His Rookie Season
A brutal reality for Vikings fans, McCarthy tore his meniscus and will not return in 2024. He can’t — the team put him on season-ending injured reserve.
McCarthy played out of his mind for about 45 minutes in Minnesota’s preseason game, resulting in fans’ high hopes about his future, plus a busted meniscus. You cannot make it up in terms of on-the-field sorrow and irony.
Everything folks had planned for McCarthy is now delayed by one Year. Plain and simple.
1. Khyree Jackson’s Tragic Death
Jackson passed away on July 6th in a Maryland car accident. The investigation into his death remains ongoing, and criminal charges could be filed against the driver who caused his death. On the Vikings’ side of operations, the franchise will take care of Jackson’s family, paying for his funeral and his full signing bonus.
Meanwhile, Jackson’s jersey No. 31 will be unused this season, Vikings players will wear a “KJ” decal on their helmets, and Jackson’s locker will remain intact.
His death was so tragic, so untimely and sad, that it was the Vikings’ top development of the offseason.
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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