Vikings Midseason 2025 Free Agency Review
We are around the midpoint of the 2025 NFL season, and the Minnesota Vikings sit at 4-4, with all possibilities still open for how this season could unfold. This offseason was a big one for Minnesota’s general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. For the first time since he was hired in 2022, he had the opportunity to splurge.
VikingsTerritory gives its midseason review of the 2025 free agency class.
Adofo-Mensah inherited a salary cap that had gotten out of control and required lots of hard work to fix. The fruition came this year when the Vikings were finally in a position to spend big in free agency. In total, Adofo-Mensah made 16 signings for a total of $269,532,500. Only the New England Patriots spent more money in free agency this year than Minnesota did.
A Glance at 2025 Vikings Free Agency with 9 Games of Hindsight
For the first time, we get to judge Adofo-Mensah with lots of money at his disposal. So let’s do just that and have a midseason review of the 11 main free agency signings for 2025.
Will Fries (Guard) – 5-year, $87.7 million contract.
Minnesota made a significant commitment to Will Fries, investing time and money in a five-year contract worth over $87 million. There was an element of risk to this move, with Fries having a breakout season in 2024 but only from a five-game sample due to a broken tibia. Fries was fit and ready to start the season and has played every game—a major plus point on an offensive line that has been ravaged by injury this season.
Eight games in, Fries hasn’t looked the dominant force he did in the early games of 2024 for the Colts. Neither has he looked like a $17 million-a-year player, but it is still early in what will hopefully be a long career in Minnesota, coming off the back of a nasty injury.
Verdict: Fries needs to keep getting games under his belt and getting accustomed to Kevin O’Connell’s scheme, and hopefully, we will see the dominant player who emerged last season. He is being paid too much money to be “just a solid guard.”
Byron Murphy (Cornerback) – 3-year, $54 million contract.
The only significant re-signing this offseason was CB Byron Murphy. On the back of a first Pro Bowl season, Murphy got a big CB1 contract -$18 million a year. Right now, he is not living up to that billing. Last season, Murphy was a ballhawk, leading the league among cornerbacks with six interceptions. This season, nothing, not a single takeaway from the Vikings’ top corner, and just a couple of passes defended.
Verdict: Since signing the big contract, Murphy hasn’t lived up to expectations. Minnesota needs him to rediscover his 2024 form over the second half of the season. Otherwise, this move will start to look like a mistake.
Jonathan Allen (Interior Defensive Lineman) – 3-year, $51 million contract.
Jonathan Allen was once one of the league’s best interior defensive linemen. Adofo-Mensah gambled on him following a down season last year, hoping he would rediscover close to his best in Minnesota. In his peak years in Washington, the 30-year-old would get sacks and tackles for loss, combining for around 20. He showcased his ability as a pass rusher and run stopper in the middle. So far this season, Allen has 1.5 sacks and 3 tackles for loss. There will need to be a huge upturn in the second half of the season for him to reach that 20 milestone.
Verdict: Allen has been ok, but when you are paying a guy $17 million a year, you need more than ok.
Javon Hargrave (Interior Defensive Lineman) – 2-year, $30 million contract.
The Vikings desperately needed an interior pass rush specialist, and Adofo-Mensah sought out Javon Hargrave. The veteran isn’t going to be the long-term answer, but could provide a short-term boost despite playing only three games last season. Hargrave had two sacks on his debut in Chicago, and the move looked like a masterstroke. Then he was largely anonymous over the next six before showing up and getting his third sack of the season in Detroit. Maybe he’s saving his best for the divisional games?
Verdict: The Week 9 win in Detroit was by far Hargraves’ best performance as a Viking, where he also added season highs in tackles, tackles for loss, and QB hits. That now needs to be the standard over the remainder of the season.
Ryan Kelly (Center) – 2-year, $18 million contract.
Ryan Kelly looked to be just what the Vikings needed. A good, solid veteran center adept at blocking against both the pass and the run, while also having all the intricacies of the position mastered. Unfortunately, two concussions in three weeks saw Kelly land on Injured Reserve. Meaning, we’ve only seen him on the field for the Vikings in three games, where he only played 63% of the snaps.
Blake Brandel moved to center for the first time in his career to cover, and it’s something the team might want to continue long-term; however, a return of Kelly to the OL would be a boost for the team.
Verdict: O’Connell told reporters that Kelly would start to do some work on a side field this week. He is eligible to return, but the team has yet to open his practice window, which doesn’t suggest a return this week is imminent. Kelly can still be a good signing if they can get him on the field.
Isaiah Rodgers (Cornerback) – 2-year, $11 million contract.
We will always have that Bengals game. What a display it was by Isaiah Rodgers, who earned the first-ever perfect grade in a game from Pro Football Focus and was guaranteed the league’s player of the week before the game even finished. In that Week 3 game, Rodgers scored two defensive touchdowns, one from an interception and one from a fumble he forced and recovered himself. He added another forced fumble and a couple of passes defended in an inspired performance.
Verdict: Unfortunately, while that Bengals game was the highlight, there have been more lowlights outside of that than there have been highlights. Rodgers needs to find more consistency if he is to remain at outside CB. Personally, I don’t think he’s the answer there, and it’s a position the Vikings need to address as a top priority next season. However, Rodgers is a good DB to have on the roster and is good value at the price being paid.
Eric Wilson (Linebacker) – 1-year, $2.6 million contract.
Probably the best signing of Vikings free agency, the return of Eric Wilson to where it all began has proved an excellent piece of business. Wilson has gone from being a depth player to an essential starter as we head into Week 10 of the season. Brian Flores has turned Wilson into a pass-rushing machine over the last few games, an area of his game that he has never really excelled in. He is looking like a complete inside linebacker and an absolute steal at just $2.6 million for the year.
Verdict: If Wilson keeps playing as he is, the sooner a contract for next season is put across the table, the better.
Jeff Okudah (Cornerback) – 1-year, $2.35 million contract.
The latest of Adofo-Mensah’s former first-round draft pick reclamation projects. Once the third overall pick by the Detroit Lions, it’s never quite worked out for Jeff Okudah, who has had several injury problems across his career. He missed the game against his former team last week due to a concussion – his second of the season.
Verdict: Like most of Adofo-Mensah’s reclamation projects, it’s not really working out for Okudah. Like much of his career, he can’t stay healthy, and when he does get on the field, he’s not exactly lighting it up. A reasonable gamble at a cheap price, but early signs point to Okudah being one-and-done in Minnesota.
Rondale Moore (Wide Receiver) – 1-year, $2 million contract.
Rondale Moore was set to be the team’s punt returner and WR4 before a knee injury suffered in a preseason game saw him ruled out for the entire 2025 season.
Verdict: A sensible signing with a glaring need at return specialist, but with his injury leaving the path clear for undrafted rookie Myles Price to shine. I don’t expect Moore to return next season.
Justin Skule (Tackle) – 1-year, $2 million contract.
Minnesota needed a backup tackle who could start if Christian Darrisaw wasn’t ready to assume his role at left tackle when the season started. Not only did that prove to be the case, but Brian O’Neill has also missed time due to injury. The Vikings opted for Justin Skule, who has logged plenty of work so far this season, appearing in 7 games, including 4 starts.
Verdict: Skule has had his struggles, but has held down the fort when needed. It’s safe to say everyone involved with the Vikings hopes Darrisaw and O’Neill don’t miss any more games.
Carson Wentz (Quarterback) – 1-year, $1.4 million contract.
Minnesota was initially set to go with Sam Howell as QB2, but after undrafted rookie Max Brosmer outshone him, it was time to think again.
Carson Wentz was brought in to be the veteran presence behind JJ McCarthy and found himself thrust into action as early as Week 3. Wentz had his struggles, but a 2-3 record with your backup QB is far from a disaster and kept the season alive until McCarthy returned from his ankle injury. Toughing it out through a dislocated shoulder that included a torn labrum and fractured socket, Wentz has had season-ending surgery.
Verdict: The boy raised in North Dakota got to live out his childhood dream for five weeks and kept the Vikings’ season from completely falling apart while battling through the pain—a commendable effort worth the small monetary cost.
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