New Vikings Rumors: The Return of a Former Viking + Judon and Gilmore Talk
It’s the Minnesota Vikings rumor mill, and we do it every week — twice, in fact.
New Vikings rumors suggest a return to the NFL by an ex-Viking, with speculation about theoretical interest in Matthew Judon and Stephon Gilmore.
You can read last week’s rumors here and here.
So, let’s bust into this week’s rumor mill for the summer Vikings.
Vikings Rumors for June 29th thru July 4th
The mill for the Vikings includes Kenny Willekes hype, a Matthew Judon idea, and possibly Stephon Gilmore to the Saints.
Rumor: Kenny Willekes wants back in the NFL.
Kenny Willekes performed magnificently in the UFL this year as a member of the Michigan Panthers. He missed that league’s Super Bowl due to injury — that’s the knock on Willekes — but his 2025 campaign turned heads otherwise.
Willekes tweeted this week, “The UFL: Thankful for the Journey 🙏🏼. NFL: I’m Ready 📞. First 48.”
The former Viking logged 3.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, and 31 tackles, 14 quarterback hits, with an 86.0 Pro Football Focus grade to his name. He should find a path to a summer roster in the NFL and perhaps join a team’s practice squad in 2025.
Rumor: Matthew Judon would make sense as a Vikings free-agent signing.
Minnesota doesn’t really need any extra pass rushers for the impending season — it has Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner — but don’t tell that to ESPN.
Aaron Schatz from that outlet recommended Matthew Judon to the Vikings last week, a cake-topper signing for a fruitful offseason.
He explained, “Sign edge rusher Matthew Judon. The Vikings are set with their starting edge rushers, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. They have 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner waiting in the wings. And then after that, well … who is Bo Richter?”
“Answer: He’s a second-year undrafted free agent who played 29 defensive snaps last season and is probably currently the No. 4 Edge on the Minnesota depth chart. The Vikings could really use a veteran to provide depth and rotate in every so often. Judon had a disappointing 2024 season with just 5.5 sacks for the Falcons, and he seems to be on the decline (he turns 33 in August).”
A player like Judon might make sense if an injury derailed the season of Greenard, Van Ginkel, or Turner.
Schatz concluded, “Still, he can get after the passer, and some reps as a backup might really rejuvenate his career.”
This isn’t the wildest idea in the world, but it should be considered a long shot, mainly because Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah probably would’ve signed an additional EDGE rusher by now if he needed one.
Rumor: Stephon Gilmore could end up with the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints may apparently need an extra cornerback, and Gilmore should be the man for the job, says a popular Saints-themed site.
Canal Street Chronicle’s Nic Jennings remarked this week, “The 2012 first-round NFL Draft pick of the Buffalo Bills had his best years during his tenure with the New England Patriots from 2017 to 2020, thriving in Bill Belichick’s hybrid defensive system that featured a base 3-4 scheme—similar to what new Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley will be implementing in New Orleans.”
“A former Super Bowl champion with five Pro Bowl selections, Gilmore has expressed a desire to mentor up-and-coming defensive backs. His veteran presence and proven success could be valuable for a young and unproven cornerback room.”
Gilmore would aid existing New Orleans corners, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor, among a few others.
Jennings added, “Dallas Cowboys corner DaRon Bland credited Gilmore for his breakout, record-breaking 2023 season, when he took six of his nine interceptions to the house for touchdowns—surpassing the previous mark of four pick-sixes shared by Eric Allen (1993), Jim Kearney (1972), and Ken Houston (1971). If it were to happen, I’d expect it to be a one-year deal given his age, but I believe Gilmore would be an ideal fit and still a viable starting cornerback in this league.”
“His addition would quickly answer the question of who starts alongside Kool-Aid McKinstry and Taylor (if kept inside), while also pushing the younger corners to develop faster through both mentorship and competition.”
Gilmore may target a Super Bowl contender, which is not the Saints, but perhaps New Orleans could lure him cash.
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