Where All the Departed Vikings Starters Landed
Free agency occurred about six months ago, and the NFL regular season has begun, as the Philadelphia Eagles took down the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football this week.
The whereabouts of all the departed Vikings starters after leaving Minnesota in free agency, with a rundown of their new NFL homes.
The NFL is always rife with change, and the 2025 offseason was no different.
So, to keep tabs on the departed Minnesota Vikings from 2024, here’s where everybody went. The players are listed alphabetically.
The Full Rundown on Where Departed Vikings Starters Ended Up
The who and where of Vikings departures during the 2025 offseason.
1. Garrett Bradbury | C
New Team: New England Patriots
Role: Starter
Replacement in Minnesota: Ryan Kelly
David Andrews retired for New England this offseason, and Bradbury slid in as the replacement plan.
The fantastic run-blocking center, who generally stunk at pass protection, will snap the ball to Drake Maye over a thousand times in 2025.
2. Jonathan Bullard | DT
New Team: New Orleans Saints
Role: Backup DT
Replacement in Minnesota: Jonathan Allen
An unsung workhorse for the Vikings, Bullard, with little fanfare, always finds a way to attach himself to an active roster. He’s a lunchpail-to-work guy.
This time, he’ll try on Kellen Moore’s team for size.
3. Camryn Bynum | S
New Team: Indianapolis Colts
Role: Starter
Replacement in Minnesota: Theo Jackson
Bynum fetched a contract worth $60 million over four years in Indianapolis. He got his bag. The celebration coordinator is no more in the Twin Cities, and Theo Jackson’s time has arrived at safety.
4. Sam Darnold | QB
New Team: Seattle Seahawks
Role: QB1
Replacement in Minnesota: J.J. McCarthy
Much like Bynum, Darnold got a payday with a new team, grabbing $100.5 million from Seattle through the end of 2027. He’ll also have 3rd-Round passer Jalen Milroe from Alabama nipping at his heels.
The almighty test for Darnold is whether he can rekindle 16 games worth of 2024 magic without Kevin O’Connell, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Addison.
The New York Times‘ Michael-Shawn Dugar wrote about Darnold this week:
What I’m also seeing is a quarterback who spends a decent chunk of time outside of the scheduled practice window with his top two receivers, Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Kupp said he spends as much time as his schedule allows in meetings with the quarterbacks, a routine he’s been following ‘for as long as I can remember.’ He views attending quarterback meetings as essential to picking up details and tidbits that will help solve the problems they encounter on game days.
None of this guarantees Darnold will be great in 2025, to be clear, since training camp practices and preseason games don’t involve game planning and aren’t always predictive. That said, Darnold’s 2024 training camp seemed to be a sign of things to come. This is a new scheme in a new environment with an entirely new supporting cast, but perhaps Darnold’s 2025 training camp might end up being the precursor to another big year.
5. Stephon Gilmore | CB
New Team: n/a
Role: Free Agent
Replacement in Minnesota: Isaiah Rodgers
Gilmore still hasn’t found an employer and also says he’s not retiring. He could be an option for the Vikings if their cornerback room experiences injuries.
6. Harrison Phillips | DT
New Team: New York Jets
Role: Starter
Replacement in Minnesota: Javon Hargrave
A few weeks ago, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah finagled a trade involving two 6th-Rounders to Minnesota for Phillips, whom most didn’t know was on the trade block. Phillips is a New York Jet.
Minnesota is content with its newfound defensive tackle depth, and Phillips returns to the AFC East.
7. Dalton Risner | G
New Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Role: Backup Right Guard
Replacement in Minnesota: Will Fries
Risner was up to his old free agency tricks this offseason, not signing with a new team until the very last minute. He accepted a similar arrangement in Cincinnati to the one he had with the Vikings — not on tap to start right away but likely to wiggle his way into the Bengals’ starting lineup by season’s end.
8. Cam Robinson | LT
New Team: Houston Texans
Role: Backup OT
Replacement in Minnesota: Christian Darrisaw
The Vikings traded for Robinson when Darrisiaw tore his ACL in October 2024. He performed hot and cold, a noticeable step down from Darrisaw — who isn’t? — but also never played too terribly.
Surprisingly, rookie tackle Aireontae Ersery, a 2nd-Round rookie from the University of Minnesota, ousted Robinson from his presumed starter’s job this summer in Houston. Some say Robinson is even on the trade block again.
9. Jerry Tillery | DT
New Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Role: Backup DT
Replacement in Minnesota: Jalen Redmond
Tillery made a one-year pit stop in Minnesota last season, playing decently but not well enough for Adofo-Mensah to want a second act.
The Chiefs signed Tillery in March, and he now lives on Kansas City’s depth chart behind the otherworldly Chris Jones. Tillery recorded one tackle for loss on Friday night in Brazil in a loss against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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