Vikings Sign a Familiar Dude
Remember Eric Wilson? He’s back.
Vikings Sign a Familiar Dude
After a few seasons with the Green Bay Packers — yes, them — the veteran linebacker will reportedly return to Minnesota, reported by The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis on Friday.
“Sounds like the Vikings have agreed to terms with former Packers LB Eric Wilson, per source. Wilson played more than 500 defensive snaps last year in GB, key special teamer as well. Vikings needed depth with Kamu Grugier-Hill becoming FA,” Lewis tweeted.
Wilson, 30, has played eight seasons in the NFL. Here’s his NFL resume to date:
- Minnesota Vikings (2017–2020)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2021)
- Houston Texans (2021)
- New Orleans Saints (2022)
- Green Bay Packers (2022–2024)
And he’ll join this Vikings off-ball linebacking group:
- Blake Cashman
- Ivan Pace Jr.
- Brian Asamoah
- Eric Wilson
- Max Tooley
Minnesota could still add another veteran linebacker, perhaps the aforementioned Grugier-Hill or a player with ties to defensive coordinator Brian Flores, like Elandon Roberts or Jerome Baker.
During Wilson’s first four seasons in Minnesota, he played 64 games while starting 25. In fact, Wilson was the only Vikings player in those four total seasons to play in every game (all 64 of them). Harrison Smith, who is still on the team, played 63 games from 2017 to 2020.
With the Vikings, Wilson notched 234 combined tackles, 19 quarterback hits, 18 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and four interceptions. He was most involved in Minnesota’s defense inside the 2020 season when veteran Anthony Barr missed 14 games with a torn pectoral muscle.
A playmaking and opportunistic defender who struggles against the run, Wilson brings an uneven Pro Football Focus resume to the Packers. Here are the grades since 2017:
- 2017 = Only Played Special Teams
- 2018 = 62.7
- 2019 = 67.6
- 2020 = 53.5
- 2021 = 39.6
- 2022 = 56.3
- 2023 = 56.5
- 2024 = 64.3
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has notably added Ryan Kelly (C), Will Fries (G), Jonathan Allen (DT), Javon Hargrave (DT), and Isaiah Rodgers (CB) in free agency in addition to re-upping with Aaron Jones (RB), Byron Murphy Jr. (CB), Theo Jackson (S), and the cherished one, Harrison Smith (S). Wilson isn’t quite the splash like those names, but he falls in the same tier as Tavierre Thomas (CB) and Justin Skule (OT), two smaller-name free agents who turned purple this week.
On the whole, Wilson should be perceived as a special teams addition who could be mixed into the defense if injuries affect Cashman and Pace Jr.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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