Vikings Have 2 Realistic Options for the Franchise Tag
The Minnesota Vikings have not franchise-tagged a player in five years.
Vikings Franchise Tag: 2 Realistic Candidates — with 1 Player Ineligible
And they probably won’t start now, but just in case, the organization has two realistic candidates.
The tag can be used once per year for each NFL team, and this year’s go-round has gained a little more attention because a quarterback is involved.
The exclusive franchise tag is defined as a mechanism that “protects a team’s rights to negotiate with the player, but it raises the pay to the current average of the top five salaries instead of averaging the previous five years. If 120% of the player’s previous salary is higher than that number, then that would be the amount. Positions that are extremely hard to fill (and increase the likelihood of another team giving up two first-round picks) are more likely to receive this tag.”
Most players don’t think highly of the tag because it doesn’t provide long-term financial security.
Nevertheless, listed alphabetically, these are the Vikings’ two possibilities before the franchise-tag window expires on March 4th.
Note: Players’ contracts can be extended after the franchise tag application, so the maneuver can be used as a conversation starter or a continuance for a player that the team doesn’t want to lose.
1. Camryn Bynum (S)
Franchise Tag Amount for a Safety:
$19.6 Million
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote about Bynum’s free agency in late January: “The Vikings and Bynum have had discussions about an extension. While nothing has materialized, both sides are open to it, and this could get done before mid-March.”
Bynum turned heads in 2024, making impact plays and firing up sweet celebrations along the way. With Harrison Smith’s retirement imminent, it’s safe to assume Minnesota will entertain re-signing Bynum for the long haul.
If Bynum walked via free agency and Smith retired, Minnesota would be left with safeties Josh Metellus and Jay Ward under contract for 2025. Theo Jackson, too, would likely be re-signed.
It’s worth noting that the Vikings could explore a different free agent if Bynum left, possibly Miami Dolphins defender Jevon Holland, who has ties to defensive coordinator Brian Flores from Flores’ head coaching days.
Bynum was the NFL’s 63rd-best safety last year, according to Pro Football Focus.
2. Sam Darnold (QB)
Franchise Tag Amount for a Quarterback:
$41.3 Million
Darnold totaled 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns in 2024. The man performed wonderfully through 16 games but oddly disappeared in the season’s final two contests against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. Per fan sentiment, most decided J.J. McCarthy felt like a more viable path for the future.
Still, if the Vikings know there’s a sweet market for Darnold, well, they could apply the franchise tag and trade him for a mid-round draft pick. And only they will know about trade suitors in mid-February.
One thing is certain, though: Darnold’s value plunged because of his poor performance in Week 18 and the playoffs.
No Longer Eligible:
Byron Murphy Jr. (CB)
Franchise Tag Amount for a Cornerback:
$20.3 Million
ESPN Dan Graziano tweeted Tuesday, “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).”
Moving the void deadline disables Murphy’s franchise tag capability.
“Interestingly, they did NOT reach the same agreement with QB Sam Darnold, whose contract still voids 23 days before the start of the league year. If they don’t do a new deal with Darnold before the contract voids, then $5 million in remaining signing bonus proration would accelerate onto their 2025 salary cap as dead money for Sam Darnold. Upshot here: They still CAN franchise Darnold, but can’t franchise Murphy or Aaron Jones (who also pushed his void date back),” Graziano added.
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.
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