One Vikings Free Agent Sounds Like the Utmost Priority
The Minnesota Vikings have about 25 free agents to re-sign this offseason. Of course, the club will likely re-up with half or so of those players and allow the rest to test the open market.
One Vikings Free Agent Sounds Like the Utmost Priority
The noteworthy names include Sam Darnold (QB), Aaron Jones (RB), Camryn Bynum (S), and Dalton Risner (OG).
But don’t forget about cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., who might just be the Vikings’ top free-agent priority. KSTP’s Darren Wolfson spoke with SKOR North last week and explained Minnesota’s desire to re-sign Murphy Jr. for the long haul.
“He loves it here. The Vikings love him. I know he loves it here. I had a number of conversations with him throughout the season about how much he enjoys being here, so he is a priority. Very curious to see if they can get that thing done,” Wolfson opined.
“You know, whether it’s March 10, March 11, leading into the official signing date of March 12, but absolutely a priority.”
And the Vikings need Murphy Jr. back on the roster in 2025 unless general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has grand plans to find two starting-caliber corners from free agency or the draft. As of February 24th, the only possibly startable CBs under contract for the Vikings include Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern. The cornerback cupboard is slender.
Last week, ESPN Dan Graziano tweeted, “Per a league source, the Vikings and CB Byron Murphy have agreed to push back the void date on his contract. Originally, the deal voided 23 days prior to the start of the league year (either today or tomorrow). Now, it’s the day before the start of the league year, which means Murphy cannot be franchised (since that date is past the deadline for teams to use the franchise tag).”
And that’s another morsel of evidence to suggest Minnesota indeed intends to re-sign Murphy Jr. It cannot franchise tag him, and prolonging the void money deadline supports a reunion with the purple team.
Murphy Jr. fully took off in 2024, nabbing 6 interceptions from the heavens en route to his first Pro Bowl. Adofo-Mensah signed him during the 2023 offseason, and in Year No. 2 with the Vikings, Murphy Jr. totally blossomed.
Because of his top-tier performance, his next contract could fetch $20 million per year.
Minnesota has approximately $63 million to spend in free agency as of late February.
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 Vikings 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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.