Vikings Rumors Spin around Ryan Kelly’s Return, Asante Samuel Jr., a Speedster’s Comeback
The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, with the Minnesota Vikings staying wholly quiet. The team pulled off no deals. That didn’t stop the rumor mill from popping, though, as theories never stop cracking in the franchise’s orbit.
Fresh Vikings rumors are swirling — centering on Ryan Kelly’s possible return, Asante Samuel Jr.’s link to Minnesota, and a speedy playmaker eyeing his return.
Let’s dive into the purple rumor mill for Saturday, November 8th.
Vikings Rumors Entering Week 10
What you need to know from the purple gossip circuit.
Rumor: Ryan Kelly is not, in fact, out for the year and could return in a couple of weeks.
Kelly has begun light work with Minnesota’s trainers and coaches, believe it or not.
Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell stated this week, “Don’t really have an update at this time of opening his window or anything like that, but want to get him started. He seems to be in a good place, and we want to see the next part of that process begin.”
The man is getting his feet wet, seemingly inching toward a return from injured reserve.
SI.com’s Will Ragatz also weighed in, “Not surprisingly, there haven’t been any updates on Kelly, the Vikings’ starting center, since his second concussion in a 15-day span landed him on injured reserve a month ago.”
“He’s now missed the last four games and is eligible to return to action, but the Vikings haven’t even opened his practice window yet. The good news is that Kelly’s ramp-up process appears to be starting, as he’ll do some work with trainers on a side field this week.”
Kelly’s situation has been handled with caution — understandably so — but the latest hints suggest the first steps of his return are underway, even if the team isn’t rushing a timeline. He sustained two concussions in two weeks to start the season, along with five cumulative in his career.
The broad takeaway is that Kelly could return to the starting lineup within a few weeks.
Rumor: The Asante Samuel Jr. dream may come true for Vikings fans.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted this week, “Free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., who underwent spinal fusion surgery in April, has been cleared for football activities and plans to make free agency visits as soon as this week. Samuel is in touch with several teams, some of which are in the market for a cornerback before the NFL trade deadline Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.”
“Samuel Jr. has a packed free agency visit schedule, per source: Panthers today, Packers on Thursday, Vikings on Friday, 49ers on Monday, Bears on Tuesday, Steelers on Wednesday.”
Samuel Jr. first popped up in the Vikings’ rumor mill back in March, when Minnesota was still hunting for cornerback depth — a need that hasn’t exactly gone away as the season has worn on.
The Los Angeles Chargers drafted Samuel Jr. four years ago in Round 2 but chose not to re-sign him this past offseason, leaving the 26-year-old sitting near the top of the free-agent cornerback list. That status hung in limbo for weeks until word surfaced about his medical situation.
Samuel Jr. underwent spinal surgery, and teams hit pause — no one was offering a deal until he was fully cleared.
If Samuel Jr. ends up elsewhere once he’s healthy, the Vikings’ remaining options at corner would likely include veterans like Stephon Gilmore, Beanie Bishop Jr., or Cameron Sutton from the free-agent pool.
Rumor: Ty Chandler is back practicing in a limited capacity and could rejoin the active roster.
Vikings fans have spent weeks wondering where Ty Chandler stands in his knee injury recovery, as updates on his progress have been few and far between.
Thanks to the Star Tribune‘s Emily Leiker, that mystery’s easing up a bit: “C Ryan Kelly, TE Josh Oliver and RB Ty Chandler were all working out on the rehab field today. Kelly did so with his helmet on, likely a new one.”
The last anyone heard from Chandler was two months ago when he landed on injured reserve. Now, it sounds like his return could be getting close.
That small Star Tribune nugget suggests Chandler might rejoin the offense within the next few weeks — a quiet but meaningful boost for a backfield that’s already finding rhythm. It’s worth remembering that many expected Chandler to be an end-of-summer cut after Minnesota added Jordan Mason and elevated Zavier Scott.
But with Chandler still rehabbing under team supervision, odds are he sticks. It would make little sense for the Vikings to keep him around through recovery only to cut him once he’s healthy. If they didn’t see him as part of the plan, he would’ve been released with an injury designation months ago.
Chandler is known for his speed and could retake the RB3 job from Zavier Scott when he’s cleared to play.
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