The 3 Wildest Vikings Offseason Theories So Far
The Minnesota Vikings have four weeks of the offseason in the books after losing in the postseason to the Los Angeles Rams.
The club has oodles of decisions around the bend, with free agency four weeks away.
The 3 Wildest Vikings Offseason Theories So Far
And to get your wheels turning on free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, this publication will review the most outlandish Vikings-themed theories to date in the digital stratosphere.
They’re ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = wildest).
3. Kevin O’Connell Trade Rumors
ProFootballTalk.com‘s Mike Florio, relying on a Week 18 report from Jay Glazer that claimed other NFL teams could trade for O’Connell, mentioned “tension” between O’Connell and the Vikings brass to start the offseason.
“The Week 18 Sunday Splash! report from Jay Glazer that multiple teams are interested in trading for O’Connell wasn’t idle talk. There’s tension in the relationship, stemming largely from the fact that he didn’t get an extension after his second season. Now that he’s one year away from free agency, he could be willing to let it ride, if necessary, and hit the market,” Florio wrote last month.
Florio also explained a reason behind the alleged beef: “Beyond money, O’Connell could be looking for more say in roster construction. For better alignment with the General Manager. For a situation where he’ll have more of what he needs to put together a team that can both get to the playoffs and win when the postseason arrives. If there’s an impasse, the Vikings will have to choose between one more year and no compensation on the back end and listening to the teams that might be calling about O’Connell.”
O’Connell signed his extension a few days after the PFT reporting, so if there was beef, it was the most miniature version imaginable.
2. Aaron Rodgers to Minnesota
Aaron Rodgers, like Brett Favre in the 2000s, has a choice between retirement — he’s 41 — perhaps re-upping with the New York Jets, or signing with another quarterback-needy team. That decision will play out in the next four weeks.
According to SI.com, Rodgers could reasonably be a quarterback solution for the Vikings in 2025, even if the purple team has rookie passer J.J. McCarthy waiting to take over.
“It’s not difficult to figure out where Rodgers would look to land if he escaped from New York: Just simply rule out non-contenders or teams already set at QB. Once you’ve done that, two teams come into plain view: the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers,” SI.com’s Colin Keane wrote last month.
Keane continued, “With Vikings future star J.J. McCarthy still just 21 years old (plus recovering from a major injury), Rodgers could be the perfect guy to join the Vikings and keep the wins coming for their competitive roster, all the while serving as a mentor for the heir apparent McCarthy. It would be a full circle moment for Rodgers, and a fitting way to finish off his career.”
The Vikings won’t hop on board with a 41-year-old Rodgers while a 22-year-old McCarthy is itching to start.
1. Trading J.J. McCarthy
Funky trade scenarios involving J.J. McCarthy have circulated the internet in the last month.
Some say Minnesota should trade him to the Cleveland Browns for Deshaun Watson and Myles Garrett. Others envision the Las Vegas Raiders as a potential trade partner.
These ideas are only present because Sam Darnold mostly played well in 2024, but anything about trading McCarthy is simply foolish.
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.