Franchise Tag Period First Indication of Vikings 2025 Plans
The biggest difference between today’s NFL offseason and when I joined the Vikings is the almost immediate jump in team activities from one season to the next.
Before the salary cap and free agency with the franchise/transition tags came to the NFL in the mid-1990s, the only consequence events in the offseason were the Combine at the end of February and the late April draft followed by a rookie minicamp. We didn’t see the vets in a football capacity until training camp in July, and the contracts were mostly negotiated a couple of weeks before training camp.
Franchise Tag Period First Indication of Vikings 2025 Plans
Everything had changed by the time I was Vikings GM in the mid-90s. Contract negotiations, for the most part, ramped up in February and early March. Then, as now, the first trigger date on player contracts was the period in which teams could place franchise and transition tags on star players. That period begins next week and runs from February 18 through March 4.
We will soon get our first indication of the plans of Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Coach Kevin O’Connell regarding the quarterback situation for next season. Will Sam Darnold receive the non-exclusive franchise tag at a projected $40 million on a one-year tender so the Vikings would receive two first-round picks if they did not match an offer from another team or have the possibility of trading Darnold?
With an estimated $61 million in 2025 salary cap room as of now, placing the franchise tag on Darnold would tie up that amount entering free agency when the Vikings have many key players they want to re-sign. That list likely starts with a vet QB (Darnold, Daniel Jones, or another QB), Pro Bowl corner Byron Murphy, and RB Aaron Jones.
They’ll also have to decide on other pending free agents, including CBs Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin, safeties Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum, D-linemen Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bullard, edge/OLB Pat Jones, OG Dalton Risner, OT Cam Robinson, and RB Cam Akers.
There’s a lot of media speculation that the Vikings will place the franchise tag on Darnold. I think the Vikings brass would like to bring Darnold back at close to the $10 million he earned in 2024. But after his final two-game meltdown, I don’t see them putting the tag on him and tying up all that cap room with so many other players to sign before they can potentially leave in free agency.
As I wrote last week, I think it’s time to turn the keys over to J.J. McCarthy as the starter in his second season and try to sign Darnold or Jones as the vet backup and bridge if McCarthy can’t stay healthy coming off his knee injury.
The case to put the franchise or transition tag on Byron Murphy
Murphy is a Pro Bowl corner coming off his best season with six interceptions (3rd in the league), 14 passes defended, and 81 tackles as he started every game (after missing three games in 2023).
With all three of their starting corners (Murphy and Gilmore) or who played a lot as a third corner (Griffin) heading to free agency on March 10, the pressure is on to keep a couple of these players. The 27-year-old Murphy is in his prime and will be the top priority in retaining on defense.
The going rate for Pro Bowl corners ranges from Chicago’s Jaylon Johnson, who earns $19 million per year, to Jalen Ramsey and Pat Surtain, who earn $24 million per year at the top of the salary scale.
The Vikings would like to re-sign Murphy for $17 million per year, but it’s likely to take $19-20 million per year to complete the deal. So why not put the franchise tag on Murphy at a projected $20 million to take him off the market (as no team is going to give up two No. 1 picks for a corner) or go the transition tag route at $17 million to at least retain a right of first refusal?
That makes more sense than franchising Darnold for $40 million (or utilizing the transition tag at $35 million).
As I said, it’s not like the pre-free agency/salary cap days for today’s GMs. They have to quickly transition in terms of roster building and cap planning from the 2024 season to the buildup to the 2025 league year. It starts in earnest with next week’s franchise/transition period and leads into free agency that is less than a month away followed by the April 24-26 draft.
Super Bowl Reactions:
No one saw the blowout coming by the Eagles against the Chiefs in their 18-point triumph that they led 34-0 late in the third quarter.
The Philly defense dominated, sacking Patrick Mahomes six times and forcing him into three turnovers, including rookie DB Cooper DeJean’s second-quarter pick-6. It was the worst big-game performance we’ve seen from Mahomes, who was often inaccurate even when he had time to throw. It reminded me of how Darnold played in the last two games when his O-line was struggling; he got jittery, made too many errant throws, and was sacked a lot.
On defense, the Chiefs were focused on stopping Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley and held him to 57 rushing yards on 25 carries for a season-low 2.3 yards per carry. He added six catches for 40 yards but didn’t reach the end zone in a season in which he had 20 combined TDs.
But the Chiefs’ preoccupation with Barkley as a runner set up QB Jalen Hurts—who was named Super Bowl MVP–for a big game. Eagles OC (and new Saints head coach) Kellen Moore won the chess match with Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo by calling many play action passes as the Chiefs keyed in on Barkley with seven or eight defenders in the box. That enabled Hurts to throw for 221 yards and two TD passes (along with 72 rushing yards and one TD).
“We knew the focus would be on the run game, and we took advantage of it in the pass game,” Barkley said. “Jalen came out, played big, and it took a team effort.”
Barkley was the 2024 bargain signing of the year at $37.5 million over three years. His Super Bowl stat line may not have been up to his usual level, but with his running, receiving, and picking up blitzes and as the Chiefs’ focus, he set up a lot of single coverage on top receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The reality is Barkley made a huge impact on the game as he has all season. He finished with new NFL season records (including playoffs) for most rushing yards (2,504) and most combined yards rushing and receiving (2,857).
With the East as the NFC division the North teams will face in 2025, the Vikings and Packers will have the slight advantage of hosting the Eagles (compared to the Lions and Bears having to go to Philly).
The Eagles will enter the 2025 season as the favorites to repeat as NFC and Super Bowl champs. It will be a big challenge for other potential NFC contenders to overtake Philly, including the Vikings, Lions, and Packers, as 2024 playoff teams from the NFC North.
Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year after the Vikings’ 15-1 season in 1998. He now works for the NFL agent group IFA based in Minneapolis and does other sports consulting and media work along with college/corporate speaking. Follow him and direct message him on Twitter– @jeffdiamondnfl
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