Purple Rumor Mill: Vikings Players Wives’ Kerfuffle, Denzel Ward, NFL’s Top Free Agent
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the January 12th edition.
Purple Rumor Mill: Vikings Players Wives’ Kerfuffle, Denzel Ward, NFL’s Top Free Agent
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the Vikings, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
Here’s the second batch of the week. Yesterday’s can be read here.
Rumor: Vikings players’ wives were mistreated last weekend in Detroit.
Dalton Risner’s wife, Whitney, led the charge this week, detailing rude behavior from Lions fans as she watched her husband’s team lose at Ford Field.
“Little did I know that I would be heckled, touched, and called names at last night’s game by Detroit Fans. (Simply for being a Vikings fan),” she posted on social media.
Whitney Risner wasn’t alone, either.
Blake Cashman’s wife, Taylor, added in response to a Lions fan on TikTok who claimed the fan base was not guilty: “Wishing injuries on the opposing team’s players ain’t the vibe, babe.”
Some other wives, like Sam Van Ginkel, confirmed the treatment. It wasn’t pleasant for some fans at Ford Field.
Rumor: Minnesota could trade for Denzel Ward, a cornerback from the Cleveland Browns, this offseason.
ESPN published an article this week predicting and forecasting the offseason for all non-playoff teams, and when ESPN’s Benjamin Solak arrived at the Browns’ section, he theorized a Ward trade to Minnesota or Green Bay.
“Big prediction for the offseason: With no contending future in sight, I expect the Browns to trade players for picks. Both cornerbacks Denzel Ward (who had an excellent season) and Greg Newsome II (who had an uncharacteristically shaky season) should be made available, and one will be dealt. For my money, I expect a young, rising team to put a first-round pick on the table for Ward (Packers? Vikings?) and give the Browns the draft capital they need to aggressively rebuild,” Solak explained.
The Vikings will select late in Round 1 of April’s draft and, with any optimistic luck, somewhere in the 30s. Sending a late 1st-Round pick to Cleveland for a guaranteed commodity in Ward would be pretty fantastic and universally embraced by the team’s fanbase.
This would be pretty sweet.
Rumor: The NFL’s top free agent in 2025 is Samuel Richard Darnold.
Darnold headlined Bleacher Report‘s Top 50 free agents list, accompanied by teammates Aaron Jones (RB), Camryn Bynum (S), Byron Murphy (CB), and Cam Robinson (LT). But none are as coveted as Darnold, says Kristopher Knox.
“Darnold is the top quarterback who’s poised to reach free agency. He’s blossomed under head coach Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota, and with a few more years of competent coaching, he could feasibly be a top-10 signal-caller,” Knox wrote this week. “Though Darnold’s last game was arguably his worst of the season, the newly minted Pro Bowler had a slew of terrific ones this year. He finished the regular season with a career-high 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 102.5 passer rating.”
It is unclear if Darnold will return to the Vikings, as the franchise has rookie passer J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings to take over at some point. Minnesota spent a 1st-Round pick on McCarthy eight months ago. “Darnold or McCarthy” debates are plentiful among fans.
Knox continued, “Teams are likely to have two big questions about Darnold when free agency begins. They’ll wonder how much is too much to pay a signal-caller with only one year of top-end production. (Spotrac now estimates Darnold’s market value at $54.7 million annually.) They’ll also wonder if he can continue developing in a different offensive system.”
Darnold could have oodles of suitors in March if he doesn’t re-up with the Vikings, including squads like the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Rams if Matthew Stafford retires.
“Landing in an offense that shares elements with the Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay system would be optimal. Tennessee could be an ideal landing spot—head coach Brian Callahan previously served under McVay protege Zac Taylor—though the Titans may prefer to use the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft on a quarterback,” Knox concluded.
What a season for Darnold … now considered the most sought-after free agent. Whoodathunkit?
The DREAM Scenario for Vikings in the Playoffs
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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