Vikings Offseason Takes Next Big Step … Today
NFL free agency is less than three weeks away, but first, the league allows all clubs to apply one franchise tag on a player.
Vikings Offseason Takes Next Big Step … Today
And that window opened on Tuesday, February 18th.
The most prevalent version used in the business is the non-exclusive franchise tag, which “completely binds the player to his team. His agent is prohibited from seeking an offer sheet.” The Minnesota Vikings could use the maneuver this week, as all eyes turn to quarterback Sam Darnold as a possible target.
In theory, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could use the tag on Darnold anytime in the next two weeks and basically own the rights to Darnold’s contract for the price of approximately $40 million. Adofo-Mensah would have the leverage to trade Darnold to a team of the Vikings’ choosing, perhaps working in unison with Darnold’s representation to find the best landing spot.
The problem? Darnold performed poorly in the Vikings’ final two games of 2024, driving down his trade value. Before a Week 18 collapse and stinker in the playoffs, some believed Minnesota could fetch a 2nd-Round draft pick or so for Darnold’s services. Now, a mid-rounder feels more likely — if Adofo-Mensah used the tag-and-trade option at all.
The other options? Minnesota could extend Darnold’s contract outright and avoid the franchise tag altogether. The Vikings could also let Darnold leave via free agency, which is what most fans and pundits expect as the franchise tag window opened.
On Monday, ESPN threw a curveball into the franchise tag arena for Minnesota. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert claimed, “Using the tag on quarterback Sam Darnold would be an expensive way of ensuring his return while avoiding a longer-term commitment that would hinder J.J. McCarthy’s eventual ascension. It could also be a way to elicit additional value by way of a trade, but that would require a knowledge that multiple teams would be willing to bid.”
“In the end, the Vikings seem more likely to let Darnold sign elsewhere and preserve their tag for a player such as cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., who had a career-high six interceptions in 2024 and is hitting his prime at age 27. If nothing else, it would give the Vikings time to sign Murphy to a longer-term deal while keeping him off the market.”
Using the tag on Murphy Jr. — not Darnold — came out of left field because the theories had singularly focused on Darnold until this week.
If the Vikings didn’t want Murphy Jr. to depart, a cornerback who reached his first Pro Bowl in 2024, they could tag him for about $20 million and work toward a contract extension with a July deadline.
On the whole, Tuesday’s the day. Around the NFL, franchise tag utility is expected to be minimal, but the Vikings are front and center with Darnold and Murphy Jr. for possibilities.
Minnesota has two weeks to use the tag if it sees fit.
If Adofo-Mensah used the franchise tag-and-trade method on Darnold or let him walk via free agency, J.J. McCarthy would be on deck for QB1 duty in 2025.
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 MIN 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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