Vikings Rumors: Dalton Risner’s Next Team, Sam Darnold’s Butt, Overseas
The Minnesota Vikings released a schedule this week, a foreboding slate of opponents for a season when the franchise will feature second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy at the top of the ticket.
Vikings rumors are here for Sunday, May 18th, the second batch of the week.
In addition to the schedule, some rumors funneled into the mill, and we track those for the masses each weekend.
You can read yesterday’s here.
Otherwise, here’s the purple rumor mill for Sunday, May 18th.
Rumor: Dalton Risner would be a smart fit for the San Francisco 49ers.
Pro Football Focus found a free agent for each NFL team that would make sense as a cake-topper addition. For the San Francisco 49ers, Dalton Risner got the call.
PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote, “Find more interior offensive line depth. If you’re going to hand your quarterback a lucrative contract, it would also be wise to shore up the protection in front of him. While the 49ers have taken a few stabs at solidifying the interior this offseason, more veteran depth would go a long way.”
“Dalton Risner would profile as a positive addition, given his experience and grading profile as a pass blocker, having earned a 76.1 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2024.”
The 49ers currently have two productive guards, so Risner would probably serve as insurance.
Not for nothing, Cameron mentioned cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. for the Vikings: “The Vikings were active in free agency to replenish their secondary, re-signing Byron Murphy Jr. and bringing in Isaiah Rodgers. Mekhi Blackmon will be tabbed to play an increased role, but the Vikings don’t have much proven depth behind him.”
“Asante Samuel Jr. is just 25 years old and, despite struggles due to injury in 2024, still maintains a solid grading profile in coverage. Across 2022 and 2023, Samuel posted an 82.0 PFF coverage grade at outside cornerback.”
Rumor: Sam Darnold is already on the hot seat in Seattle. His butt is warm.
Sporting News‘ Vinnie Iyer illustrated Darnold’s alleged hot seat this week, citing rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe’s presence on the depth chart.
Iyer explained, “Milroe is the wildest card in this group given the Seahawks traded Geno Smith and signed Sam Darnold to a 3-year, $100.5 million deal. Darnold is earning $37.5 million guaranteed for the 2025 season, so it would suggest he starts this year with the team having an out next offseason.”
“But there’s no reason for Klint Kubiak and Seattle’s new offensive coaching staff to not get a good long look at Milroe, even if it would not be designated as a competition vs. Darnold. Darnold has the clear edge from experience and working with Kubiak with the 49ers in 2023, but he also can’t provide the athletic dual-threat element Milroe can.”
The Seahawks drafted Milroe in Round 3 and will probably give him an audition before too long.
Iyer added, “It’s a long shot for the Seahawks to be so open-minded to give Milroe a full-fledged shot, but there’s still a chance that Milroe can manifest all of his talent to make this Russell Wilson-over-Matt Flynn all over again 13 years later. Milroe is doing what he can to advance his growth as a passer, and the Seahawks don’t see him being anything other than a straight-up quarterback who can also be an explosive runner.”
“Darnold is the much better bet to hold the job, but he has to be feeling a little uncomfortable based on the draft capital the Seahawks used on Milroe’s all-around talent.”
There you have it. To a degree, Darnold must look over his shoulder, similar to Kirk Cousins in Atlanta last season.
Rumor: The Vikings welcomed the back-to-back international trip to Dublin and London.
The Vikings aren’t afraid one bit about Weeks 4 and 5 overseas. In fact, they appear to have requested it.
“The two-game trip gives us an unbelievable opportunity to take our team on the road, get away from a lot of the day-to-day things that may be pulling players in any other direction,” head coach Kevn O’Connell told Irish reporters.
“From a football side of it, both opponents that we’ll play have very high-quality home atmospheres in their home stadiums here in the United States. So to get to play them not at their home stadium — tough division, the AFC North tends to be year-in and year-out — we found that to be a potential bonus for our football team, as well as getting the opportunity to have a trip together where we can continue to build our team, our camaraderie.”
The Vikings will play the Steelers in Dublin and the Browns in London.
O’Connell added, “It was kind of a joint decision in conjunction with the NFL. The way I looked at it is, from a standpoint of it being a positive opportunity — from both a football side and a business side for our organization, we’re very proud of our organization.”
“We do have some star power. Justin Jefferson, if international fans don’t know about him yet, they certainly will very soon. Getting the opportunity to see the best wide receiver — on the planet in my opinion — is a great start to getting to know the Minnesota Vikings.”
The Vikings wanted it this way.
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