The Top 3 Vikings Developments from Offseason Week No. 3
The Minnesota Vikings’ will play their next regular season game in 7.5 months, so the club has plenty of time to prepare for head coach Kevin O’Connell’s fourth act.
Minnesota finished 2024 with a 14-3 record, featuring a disappointing Round 1 playoff failure.
Vikings Offseason: The Top 3 Vikings Developments from 3rd Week
Free agency is about five weeks away, the draft is 11 weeks around the bend, and the club’s schedule will be released in May.
And to keep track, these were the top three developments of offseason week No. 3 ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most important).
3. Stephon Gilmore Contemplating Retirement
The Vikings signed Stephon Gilmore as a short-term CB solution last summer. Now, after a productive season, he might retire.
“I’m probably the last corner playing. So, definitely going to sit down with my family and think about what’s best for me and go from there,” Gilmore said this week about his 2012 draft class, mentioning that his body was “feeling it.”
Gilmore is scheduled to hit free agency in six weeks, which, of course, could be moot if he retires. Last year, Minnesota didn’t sign Gilmore until late in the free agency process, so if he changes his mind on retirement, perhaps he’ll follow a familiar path in July or August.
But as of now, Gilmore might’ve played his final NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams.
2. Sam Darnold Post Kind-Of Farewell on Instagram?
Darnold is not overly active on social media, and most fans considered his latest post a farewell address.
He recently posted this to Instagram:
Many interpreted the post as a goodbye note, which makes sense because Minnesota is probably on the brink of the J.J. McCarthy era. Darnold totaled 36 total touchdowns in 2024 but collapsed in the season’s final two games.
1. Brian Flores Likely Back for Year No. 3
Flores interviewed for three head coaching gigs with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets this offseason. All three teams hired someone else.
The New Orleans Saints are also looking for a new skipper, although Flores has not interviewed for that position. Flores turned the Vikings’ defense around rather quickly, and in fact, his group ranked second in the NFL this season per EPA/Play. He’s earned HC attention accordingly. Fans will be excited to have him back if he strikes out this cycle.
And all signs point to Flores waiting another year before landing a head coaching job.
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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