The 26 Vikings Players Scheduled to Hit Free Agency
The Minnesota Vikings’ offseason arrived this week after a playoff flop against the Los Angeles Rams.
Vikings Free Agents: List of 26 Players Scheduled to Hit the Open Market
The team performed extraordinarily well through 16 games but faded with the lights brightest.
And with free agency less than two months away, these are the 26 Vikings players scheduled to hit the open market.
Nos. 26-7:
The One-Year Contract Players
These players signed a one-year contract last offseason or are playing on a one-year deal from another team.
- Cam Akers (RB)
- Jonathan Bullard (DT)
- Sam Darnold (QB)
- Dan Feeney (G/C)
- Stephon Gilmore (CB)
- Shaquill Griffin (CB)
- Kamu Grugier-Hill (LB)
- Theo Jackson (S)
- Aaron Jones (RB)
- Daniel Jones (QB)
- Fabian Moreau (CB)
- Johnny Mundt (TE)
- Nick Muse (TE)
- Brandon Powell (WR)
- David Quessenberry (OT)
- Dalton Risner (OG)
- Cam Robinson (LT)
- Trent Sherfield (WR)
- Jerry Tillery (DT)
- Jihad Ward (OLB)
Most Vikings faithful are excited about the team’s forecast of $70+ million in 2025 cap space, but that will vaporize quickly if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wants these men back next year.
The Expiring Deals –> One-Year Contract
6. Ryan Wright (P)
The punter since the dawn of the Kevin O’Connell era, Wright is on deck to test the open market if Minnesota doesn’t include him in the 2025 plan.
Wright ranked 23rd of 34 qualifying punters per net average yards (40.6) in 2024.
It’s a true coinflip on his return.
5. Nick Mullens (QB)
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah prolonged Mullens’ contract in the 2023 offseason, and the deal turned heads because it was longer than a one-year arrangement. Yet, with Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy in the house, 2024 could be Mullens’ last in purple. Otherwise, Mullens could, in theory, back up McCarthy indefinitely starting in 2025.
Adding Daniel Jones in November also muddied Mullens’ would-be role in 2025.
4. Patrick Jones II (OLB)
The Vikings suddenly have abundant outside linebacker depth, including Jones II, who was a notable contributor for three-quarters of the 2024 regular season.
There have not been many hints about a Jones II extension, so he could hit the open market, especially with rookie Dallas Turner eager for more snaps.
3. Camryn Bynum (S)
After one year of deployment in Brian Flores’ defense (2023), Bynum ranked as one of the NFL’s best safeties per Pro Football Focus, checking it at No. 22 among peers at his position. This year, he ranked 64th.
He should command a decent contract extension before too long, though it’s unclear if Minnesota will pay Bynum top dollar.
Bynum is also a fan favorite because of his charisma.
2. Byron Murphy (CB)
Murphy could be back in purple for 2025. He told KSTP’s Darren Wolfson last summer, “I gotta say, since I’ve been here since day one, I fell in love, so I don’t want to go nowhere. I want to stay here for the rest of my career. So I’m gonna try to work my ass off to stay here for sure.”
Otherwise, Murphy signed a two-year deal in the 2023 offseason, making 2024 his final season in Minnesota. He also earned his first Pro Bowl this season.
The Pro Bowl nod will do wonders for his next contract — in the Twin Cities or elsewhere. On the whole, Murphy and Bynum extensions may boil down to whether the Vikings hand Sam Darnold a boatload of cash. If they do not, well, they can afford Bynum and Murphy — but probably not all three.
1. Harrison Smith (S)
Smith will turn 36 in 18 days. The Pioneer Press claimed in July that 2024 is Smith’s last.
After Monday’s playoff loss, Smith looked and sounded like a man who had played his last game in the NFL. But perhaps he’ll return for a 14th season when those emotions burn off.
If not, Smith’s tenure in Minnesota can be deemed an instant Hall of Fame-worthy success.
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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