The 3 Longest-Tenured Players on Vikings Roster
The Minnesota Vikings undertake free agency in four weeks, even less if one considers “legal tampering” the unofficial beginning. Players can begin agreeing to deals with teams in 27 days.
The 3 Longest-Tenured Players on Vikings Roster
The purple team has 25 players scheduled to hit the open market, a significant amount that will eat into the team’s $60 million in current space.
Not everyone will depart, though. A few stalwarts will remain, and as of February 11th, these are the three longest-tenured Vikings players for 2025, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = longest-tenured).
3. Brian O’Neill
In some ways, it feels like not long ago when Brian O’Neill was thrust into action as a raw rookie. But that was seven years ago, believe it or not.
Ex-general manager Rick Spielman scooped O’Neill out of the draft’s 2nd Round in 2018, and soon after, O’Neill became a Vikings mainstay on the offensive line and, in fact, one of the few saviors who kept Vikings fans from utter rage regarding the trenches.
Now with two Pro Bowls (2021, 2024) to his name and status as one of the league’s most handsomely paid right tackles, O’Neill is forever ingrained in the fabric of the Mike Zimmer and Kevin O’Connell eras of Vikings football. And he’s scheduled to be a Viking for at least two more seasons.
O’Neill had one of his best career seasons in 2024, holding the offensive line together after Christian Darrisaw tore his ACL in Week 8.
2. C.J. Ham
One of the heart-and-soul players in Minnesota’s locker room, Ham is the team’s fullback, although the Vikings’ offense rarely features him. Ham saw action on 24% of offensive plays and 63% of special teams snaps. He’s part of the glue that keeps the culture together.
Ham joined the Vikings in 2017 as an undrafted free agent, filling the fullback duty since. His contract was extended — somewhat unexpectedly — in the summer of 2023, and he’ll be affixed to the roster until the end of 2025.
It’s also worth noting that Ham is 32, and retirement isn’t far away.
1. Harrison Smith (S)
Probably the most likely on the list to depart the Vikings this offseason, Smith has been doing the purple thing for 13 years. The aforementioned Spielman plucked him out of the 1st Round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and he transformed into a Vikings legend pretty quickly. Longevity, of course, helps.
But Smith could retire this offseason; he turned 36 earlier this month. Safeties don’t usually make it that long, but Hitman is an exception.
Smith sounded rather sentimental after Minnesota lost in the playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams, so much so that most fans think he’ll retire.
The rumor mill suggests Smith’s return probability for 2025 is exactly 50-50. The man played quite well in 2024, and most hope he returns for one last ride next season.
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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