Winners and Losers for the Vikings Early in Free Agency
Three days of free agency are in the books, and the Minnesota Vikings have not done much. The club has retained a couple of players, allowed a few to leave, and watched as hundreds around the league have found new teams. Along the way, some winners and losers have emerged, at least out of the gate.
A few Minnesota moves already changed the outlook for multiple players.
This article could look markedly different in one week, but here’s a look at the lay of the land at the moment.
Early Free Agency Has Already Shaken Up Minnesota’s Depth Chart Implications
The Vikings are about to embark on another wave of free agency.
Winner: Michael Jurgens
Approximately five starting centers signed with teams not named the Vikings this week: Tyler Linderbaum (Las Vegas Raiders), Cade Mays (Detroit Lions), Luke Fortner (Carolina Panthers), Tyler Biadasz (Los Angeles Chargers), and Elgton Jenkins (Cleveland Browns).
It wasn’t like the crop lacked options. So, by default, the Vikings either love Jurgens, who enters Year No. 3 in 2026, or they will draft a center sometime early in the draft. It’s probably a safer bet to assume Jurgens will enter training camp as the starting center.
Too, Minnesota could promote Blake Brandel to the starting center post; he performed decently at the spot in relief of Ryan Kelly last season. But Brandel isn’t a center by trade; Jurgens is.
Minnesota could’ve signed Jenkins, for example, and Jurgens would be nowhere near the “winners” sections of this list.
Loser: J.J. McCarthy
Kyler Murray flew to the Twin Cities on Wednesday night, and if all goes as expected, he will sign with the Vikings on Thursday or Friday. The coaching staff will probably claim that McCarthy now has competition in Murray, but reasonable onlookers will decipher that jargon quickly. Murray would instantly become the QB1.
The probably impending Murray signing — for the league minimum — spells disaster for McCarthy, at least compared to his trajectory at this time last year. The Vikings went from ignoring backup quarterbacks altogether in 2025 free agency, before trading for Sam Howell in April, to catching a big fish like Murray, who has two Pro Bowls to his name.
If you wanted McCarthy to get another trial run as a starter in 2026, Murray in Minnesota is a doomsday scenario.
Winner: Jay Ward
Minnesota still doesn’t have a verdict from longtime safety Harrison Smith, who is deliberating whether to return for Year No. 15 or retire. Smith is 37; safeties don’t usually last long in the pros.
Therefore, the Vikings could’ve signed a free-agent safety like Nick Cross, Jalen Thompson, Reed Blankenship, or Bryan Cook, to name a few, hedging the bet against Smith’s possible retirement and injecting youth into the pipeline. Through a few days of free agency, they’ve done no such thing.
Instead, the incumbents are sitting pretty. Minnesota has Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, and Jay Ward as the main safeties on tap for 2026. Ward stepped in front of Jackson on the depth chart down the stretch of 2025, and if nothing changes in the remainder of free agency or the draft in April, Ward could be a starter next season or play many more snaps than in previous seasons.
There’s a chance that Ward’s mini-breakout impressed defensive coordinator Brian Flores, so much so that veteran safeties from free agency were not required.
Loser: Dwight McGlothern
In fairness, McGlothern never really caught on in 2025; former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah even briefly released him before re-signing as a matter of roster maintenance.
But the fact remains that Minnesota entered the 2026 offseason with four cornerbacks under contract: Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Dwight McGlothern, and Zemaiah Vaughn. The setup put McGlothern in line as the CB3, though most didn’t expect that to hold.
Alas, it did not.
The Vikings have signed one external free agent as of this article’s publication: a cornerback from the Pittsburgh Steelers named James Pierre. Here’s a statistical breakdown of Pierre’s performance since 2020, according to Pro Football Focus:
2025: 86.2 (408 snaps)
2024: 56.2 (207 snaps)
2023: 40.4 (28 snaps)
2022: 69.9 (260 snaps)
2021: 58.1 (415 snaps)
2020: 80.5 (38 snaps)
And passer rating allowed:
2025: 41.4 (408 snaps)
2024: 81.5 (207 snaps)
2023: 143.7 (28 snaps)
2022: 58.7 (260 snaps)
2021: 105.7 (415 snaps)
2020: 79.2 (38 snaps)
Listed at 6’2″ and 190 pounds, Pierre is the tallest cornerback projected to receive defensive snaps for the Vikings in 2026. He is also related to Lamar Jackson; they are cousins.
Minnesota sought a cost-effective cornerback with significant upside and found one in Pierre. His contract includes $3.7 million in guaranteed money, which represents strong value for a player who has demonstrated starter potential.
Daronte Jones, the Vikings’ defensive passing game coordinator from 2022 to 2025, accepted a promotion to defensive coordinator with Washington this offseason. To fill the vacancy, Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores hired Gerald Alexander from the Steelers’ staff. Shortly after arriving in Minnesota, Alexander acquired Pierre — his guy from the Steelers — in free agency.
Pierre will turn 30 in September.
Winner: Tai Felton
Much like McGlothern, who was the CB3 on the depth chart a week ago, Felton is now the WR3. Former Vikings wideout Jalen Nailor signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, cashing in for three years and $35 million with his hometown team.
Minnesota drafted Felton in Round 3 last year, and typically, pass-catchers from that round get an audition to play a meaningful role in an offense. Felton didn’t get that chance in 2025 — because of Nailor — but the path has cleared for Felton to secure a real WR3 audition at training camp.
The Vikings could still sign a veteran like Christian Kirk from free agency, but as of March 12th, there is no WR3 on the roster aside from Felton. Perhaps this was the plan all along: let Felton experience a redshirt year on offense as a rookie, with the team’s leaders knowing that Nailor would leave in 2026, paving the way for Felton’s ascent.
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