The Biggest Questions Facing the Minnesota Vikings as Training Camp Gets Rolling
Vikings training camp is officially ramping up in Eagan as veterans will report to camp on Tuesday.
The Minnesota Vikings are hoping to ring in a new era of football for the franchise as J.J. McCarthy looks to become the team’s starting QB. As camp gets underway for the Vikings, here are some of the biggest questions facing the franchise heading into the 2025 season.
Will Josh Metellus Receive a Contract Extension?
The Minnesota Vikings have seen some great defensive play over the past two seasons, and it is no coincidence that this success has coincided with the emergence of safety Josh Metellus.
The man does it all.
One play, he’ll be back playing free safety, and the next, he will be up by the line of scrimmage ready to blitz or help in run defense. Metellus truly is the Swiss Army Knife of the Vikings’ defense, and as a result, it has him looking forward to a big pay day with his next contract.
This offseason, the Vikings watched Camryn Bynum walk in free agency as he signed a four-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts worth $60 million. There is a good chance Metellus gets a deal of that magnitude or perhaps even larger with a third successful season in Brian Flores’ system.
Add in Harrison Smith’s looming retirement that will be a topic surrounding the 36-year-old all season, and the Vikings could be looking at the safety position as a drastic need in 2026 if Metellus does not sign an extension.
It seems like signs are pointing to Metellus remaining in Minnesota with a contract extension, but it is also very possible Kwesi Adofo-Mensah decides he doesn’t want to pay a safety big money, similarly to what ended up happening with Bynum this year.
Do the Vikings Have Enough Firepower at Cornerback?
It’s a question that has been nagging at Vikings fans all offseason with no real way to get a concrete answer, at least, until now when players begin arriving at training camp: do the Vikings really have enough talent at the cornerback position?
Of course, Byron Murphy remains the headliner in the group after signing a new three-year deal to remain in Minnesota. The veteran turned in a fantastic season during 2024 and will continue to be Minnesota’s CB1 heading into this season.
The question revolves more around the names behind Murphy at the position. Isaiah Rodgers has started 13 games since entering the NFL in 2020; can he really be trusted to consistently play to the level of a CB2 all season?
Behind him, Mekhi Blackmon is coming off an injury that eliminated his entire 2024 campaign, Jeff Okudah is another boom-or-bust wild card, and Dwight McGlothern is a 2024 UDFA who played just 19 defensive snaps all season.
Who Gets More Carries: Aaron Jones or Jordan Mason?
Aaron Jones signed a two-year contract to remain with the Vikings this offseason, and while the running back put together career-highs in carries and rushing yards last year, he is entering his age-31 season and needs to be able to leave some gas in the tank for January if the Vikings want to make a deep run.
That is where the Jordan Mason signing comes into play. Mason is a downhill runner who totaled 789 yards at 5.2 yards per carry for the 49ers last season.
Jones started the season recording 85 carries for 443 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and a pair of touchdowns over the first six games of the season. He also added 20 receptions for 190 yards and another touchdown.
That solid start to the year finished slowly as over the final 11 games of the season, Jones put up 170 carries for 695 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, and as a receiver, he caught 31 passes for 218 yards and one more touchdown.
The Vikings became a bit over reliant on Jones as the season wore on, so hopefully Mason can help the veteran manage his stamina by taking a bit of that load off.
When Does Christian Darrisaw Return to the Field?
Christian Darrisaw suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams last season, and it remains to be seen when he will be ready to return to the playing field.
The star left tackle was doing individual drills during mini camp, but seeing as the injury happened just about nine months ago, it seems unlikely that he will be a full participant when training camp really ramps up.
If Darrisaw isn’t ready to go, the Vikings have a couple of options. They could toss Blake Brandel into the role, similarly to how he filled in during 2022 when Darrrisaw suffered a concussion. Otherwise, Justin Skule, who started five games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, could step in and take over the job for a few weeks.
Ultimately, the Vikings should play it safe with Darrisaw, but we’ll see how quickly the talented star is able to get back to his regular form.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference.
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