Vikings Theories That Got Flipped on Their Head Recently
After the NFL Draft, several Minnesota Vikings-themed theories took center stage, a standard occurrence as the depth chart takes shape for the summer and regular season.
The Vikings have undergone some shifts in the last month, and these theories changed.
This go-round was no different, and the month of May brought some clarity for the purple team.
So, these are the theories that changed for the Vikings in the last month.
Theory No. 1
The Vikings Were Standoffish about Extending Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Some fringe theorists thought the Vikings “needed to see how one more draft class panned out” for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s contract extension. The idea was stupid because draft classes don’t illustrate their full value until years down the road.
Last week, the Vikings’ ownership ended all Adofo-Mensah mysteries and snuffed out any lingering conspiracies.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Friday morning, “Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed a multi-year contract extension last night. The two sides have been working on the extension for weeks. This off-season, the Vikings now signed both Adofo-Mensah and HC Kevin O’Connell to multi-year deals.”
Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell, the braintrust, are in the saddle indefinitely. Minnesota’s ownership group doesn’t need to “see more” from Adofo-Mensah. He’s their man in the front office.
Theory No. 2
Andrew Van Ginkel Would Play out His Team-Friendly Contract
In March 2024, Adofo-Mensah signed outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel to a dinky contract by EDGE rushers’ standards: two years and $20 million.
Van Ginkel responded by reaching his first Pro Bowl and exploding onto the scene in Minneapolis. Some fans hoped he’d play out his contract in a team-friendly manner — it’s better for roster construction — but the Vikings disagreed. They took care of their own.
Pro Football Talk‘s Myles Simmons wrote on April 29th, “The Vikings are keeping one of their key defensive players around for another year. Minnesota has agreed to a one-year contract extension with edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Schefter notes the extension is worth $23 million with $22.4 million guaranteed. Van Ginkel was entering the last season of the two-year deal he signed with Minnesota last offseason.”
“Starting all 17 games for the Vikings in 2024, Van Ginkel finished with a career-high 11.5 sacks with 18 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits. He recorded two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns. He was on the field for 81 percent of Minnesota’s defensive snaps.”
Van Ginkel is now compensated at fair market value. Team-friendliness be damned.
Theory No. 3
A Jalen Ramsey Trade Was Far-Fetched
Right before the draft and during the event, the Vikings as serious players in the Jalen Ramsey trade sweepstakes felt like a long shot. Would the team really get in bed with a spendy cornerback over the age of 30?
Well, that answer has trended toward yes and not inconceivable, mainly because the national media has realized that Minnesota considers itself a Super Bowl contender.
Ramsey worked alongside O’Connell in 2021 when the pair won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. For a 3rd-Round pick or something similar, the Vikings are a legitimate trade contender for Ramsey’s services.
Theory No. 4
Asante Samuel Jr. Rumor Mill Fizzled
Some pretty wacky rumors suggested before the draft that the Vikings could sign cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. Adofo-Mensah then drafted no cornerbacks, and the Samuel Jr. rumor mill felt pretty reliable.
Then, however, no team signed Samuel Jr., and some left the dream for dead.
Fast forward to late May or early June, and NFL teams are allegedly waiting on Samuel Jr.’s medicals after an April surgery. The Samuel Jr. rumor for the Vikings has gone like this:
— They didn’t sign him in free agency.
— Adofo-Mensah was waiting until after the draft.
— The Vikings didn’t sign Samuel Jr. after all.
— Perhaps they will when doctors clear him.
It’s been a ride.
Theory No. 5
Aaron Rodgers Still in the Mix for the Vikings
The Aaron-Rodgers-to-Vikings rumor mill has been on life support for over a month, but as recently as the draft, some still thought there was a faint heartbeat with his chances of turning purple and gold.
But in the last month, Minnesota has more than committed to J.J. McCarthy. The only way Rodgers will sign with O’Connell’s team is if a) He remains unemployed b) McCarthy gets hurt again.
The once-white-hot Rodgers talker is dead.
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