Vikings Rumors Heat Up over a Jalen Nailor Trade, Christian Darrisaw’s Injury, Big Contract for Former Vikings QB
Before and after the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 9 date with the Detroit Lions, rumors will hit a fever pitch, as all NFL teams have just two more days to figure out their trade strategies and execute deals.
The Vikings’ rumor mill absolutely never takes days off, and with trades flying everywhere around the NFL, Minnesota isn’t excluded from the chatter.
It’s made for a wild Vikings rumor mill, and here’s the latest right before Week 9.
Vikings Rumor Mill, November 2nd, 2025
The second installment of the Purple Rumor Mill for the week.
Rumor: Jalen Nailor could be traded in the next couple of days.
ESPN broke down one player from each team who could be moved ahead of the trade deadline — and for the Vikings, Jalen Nailor was the pick.
Kevin Seifert wrote, “Who could be on the move? Wide receiver Jalen Nailor. He is a key part of the Vikings’ three-receiver sets and has played the fourth-highest percentage of snaps (74.1%) of any offensive player.”
“But in the Vikings’ efforts to feed Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, Nailor has been targeted only 26 times this season. (He has caught 13 of those throws for 162 yards and a touchdown.) The Vikings aren’t looking to trade Nailor, but they have depth behind him in veteran Adam Thielen. Nailor is also a pending free agent. With Jefferson set to count for $39 million against the 2026 cap, and Addison eligible for an extension this upcoming offseason, Nailor could move on next year anyway.”
As for potential acquisitions, Seth Walder pointed toward a familiar name.
“Who could be targeted? Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. It’s too obvious to ignore. The Vikings are expected to get McCarthy back this week, but he struggled when he played this season (23.2 QBR), the Carson Wentz backup experiment was largely a failure, and this team has too much potential to waste this season,” Walder noted.
Nailor’s contract expires in a few months, and if Minnesota wanted a draft pick in a trade, now’s the time to strike.
On Cousins, that one won’t happen, not with Cousins’ $57.5 million cap number in 2026 and $57.5 million cap number in 2027.
Rumor: Christian Darrisaw’s ACL recovery was a “365-day” ordeal.
Christian Darrisaw appears to be blowing past expectations in his recovery timeline.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted, “Christian Darrisaw said today that he was originally told it would take a full year — ‘365 days’ — for him to return from his torn ACL/MCL. He said things are trending in the right direction but still considers himself ahead of schedule despite leaving 3 games early.”
Darrisaw added Monday, “I came back way earlier than anyone had projected for me. I’ve played in more games than I thought I would at this point already.”
All told, Darrisaw sounds confident — he knows he’s not all the way back yet, but he clearly feels good about where things are heading.
Rumor: Daniel Jones is nearing a huge new contract in Indianapolis.
NFL Network tweeted last weekend, “The Colts are looking to sign QB Daniel Jones to a long-term extension after this season per Ian Rapoport.”
Rapoport added on air, “I know we’re only halfway through the season, but this is clear: what they are doing with Daniel Jones as the quarterback has been remarkable.”
So there you have it — the Colts have apparently seen enough. Jones is their long-term guy, and they’re ready to back that belief with a new contract. Never mind that things fell apart for him in New York; Indianapolis seems convinced a change of scenery has revived his career.
If Daniel Jones stays on his current pace through eight games, his season would finish with a stat line straight out of a franchise quarterback’s dream:
- 4,382 passing yards
- 36 total touchdowns
- 6 interceptions
Now for the part that’ll make you blink — the money. If Colts general manager Chris Ballard decided to strike a deal today, Jones would likely command something in the range of four years and $200 million, or three years and $150 million.
Ballard will probably wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds before committing that kind of cash, but that’s the ballpark. The wild part? That would only make Jones roughly the 12th-highest-paid quarterback in the league. In today’s NFL, if a quarterback is even good, $40 million per year is the standard asking price — right off the bat.
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