The Vikings Players on the Hot Seat
The Minnesota Vikings have welcomed roughly 40 new players to their roster this spring, courtesy of a busy free agency, skimpy draft, and robust undrafted free agent haul.
The Vikings Players on the Hot Seat
Like every summer, some notable players won’t quite make the regular season roster, with their jobs taken by eager younger players.
So, from a May glance, these Vikings players are on the hot seat in 2025. They’re ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = hottest seat).
4. Ryan Wright (P)
The Vikings discovered Wright at the dawn of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell era, and he’s remained attached to the roster as the primary punter since.
His first season in purple, 2022, turned out wonderfully, and fans were eager for a sequel in 2023. Wright quickly produced a sophomore slump and used the 2024 campaign to inch back to normal.
Meanwhile, Adofo-Mensah signed undrafted free agent punter Oscar Chapman from Australia last week.
Vikings.com‘s Rob Kleifeld wrote about Chapman: “Aussies rule: Chapman advanced from Aussie rules football through Prokick Australia, which has produced Ray Guy Award winners Tom Hornsey (Memphis), Tom Hackett (Utah), Mitch Wishnowsky (Utah), Michael Dickson (Texas), Max Duffy (Kentucky), Adam Korsak (Rutgers) and Tory Taylor (Iowa).”
Chapman could swipe Wright’s job.
3. Jalen Nailor WR)
Nailor isn’t necessarily on the hot seat right away in 2025. He played well in 2024, creating some breakout plays and notably springing Justin Jefferson’s 97-yard touchdown pass from Sam Darnold last September.
However, Nailor isn’t scheduled to be a part of the Vikings’ roster beyond 2025. And last week, Adofo-Mensah drafted Tai Felton, a wide receiver from Maryland, from Round 3, a spot in the draft that projects for at least WR3 upside.
There’s a decent chance that Felton was chosen as the Nailor succession plan. Therefore, Nailor must improve in 2025 to keep his job in 2026. Otherwise, it will be Felton’s time to shine.
2. Josh Oliver (TE)
Oliver’s contract expires after the 2025 season, and no credible hints have suggested an imminent extension. Minnesota could actually release Oliver this summer and save $8 million. His contract is team-friendly.
Too, Adofo-Mensah just drafted Pittsburgh’s Gavin Bartholomew and signed Ben Yurosek, an undrafted free agent, for Georgia.
The 2025 campaign could be Oliver’s last in Minnesota if he isn’t dropped this summer.
On the other hand, PurplePTSD.com’s Kyle Joudry made the case for extending Oliver earlier this offseason.
He wrote, “Add it all up and the actual best path is relatively clear: extend Mr. Oliver. Cutting the blocking bulldozer means regaining more than $5.1 million in open cap space for 2025. Extending the blocking bulldozer opens the potential to regain close to $5.5 million in open cap space for 2025. In other words, the Vikings could have their purple cake while eating it, too.”
“Retain the tight end tandem while also working with some increased financial flexibility in the immediate. Add it all up and the actual best path is relatively clear: extend Mr. Oliver.
Oliver is the franchise’s TE2 on the current depth chart.
Joudry added. “Cutting the blocking bulldozer means regaining more than $5.1 million in open cap space for 2025. Extending the blocking bulldozer opens the potential to regain close to $5.5 million in open cap space for 2025. In other words, the Vikings could have their purple cake while eating it, too. Retain the tight end tandem while also working with some increased financial flexibility in the immediate.”
1. Ty Chandler (RB)
Chandler actually experienced an advantageous month of April because Adofo-Mensah drafted no running backs in a deep class. It could be worse for Chandler.
Still, 2025 is Chandler’s final contractual season, and the Vikings traded for Cam Akers last year instead of promoting Chandler.
Minnesota could sign Akers from free agency or make another running back trade this summer for a different RB3. Chandler isn’t the best pass blocker, and that may hurt his stock as the team’s RB3.
Janik Eckardt wrote about Chandler before the draft: “A 2022 fifth-rounder, Ty Chandler, showed promise in the 2023 season but completely disappeared last year. He was replaced by trade acquisition Cam Akers in each of the past seasons, indicating that the coaching staff doesn’t trust him for some reason.”
“Aaron Jones returned and Jordan Mason was brought in to be the new RB2. If the Vikings land another runner in an impressive RB draft class (even a late-rounder), Chandler is in danger of losing his roster spot.”
Jacksonville State’s Tre Stewart is also on the team now, found by Adofo-Mensah from UDFA.
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