Follow every signing and trade with The Athletic’s live coverage of 2025 NFL free agency
The Minnesota Vikings proved last year how important this time can be. They transformed their roster, added key free agents and went on to win 14 games. The challenge is whether or not they can execute as well this time around.
This will be a landing spot for all Vikings free-agency news as Minnesota builds its 2025 roster. Moving on from quarterback Sam Darnold and transitioning to youngster J.J. McCarthy creates a roster-building window around a rookie quarterback contract. Flush with money, expect the Vikings to be aggressive. The early negotiating period opened at 11 a.m. CT on Monday, March 10.
We’ll be tracking all of their moves here, updating the transactions as they come in. So bookmark this page and keep coming back to stay up to date with all the news and analysis surrounding the Vikings.
• Live free agency updates: Tracking trades, contracts, deals and rumors
• Our updated list of the top 150 free agents
• Free agency grades: The good, bad and ugly of key deals
• Top free agents at every position
March 10
Addressing the offensive line
5:46 p.m. CT: The Vikings are expected to sign center Ryan Kelly, a team source confirmed Monday evening. Kelly, who will turn 32 in May, becomes the first of what could be multiple additions to the interior of the offensive line this offseason.
The signing raises questions about the future of center Garrett Bradbury, who has only one season remaining on his current deal. Minnesota could save more than $3.5 million on the salary cap by trading him or releasing him before June.
Kelly provides experience and production to a position group that needs it. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has talked about wanting to revamp the interior since the Vikings lost in the playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams. Kelly is a four-time Pro Bowler and former second-team All-Pro who has experience working with a young quarterback (Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis). His presence might also intrigue fellow free agent and former teammate Will Fries, whom the Vikings have also shown interest in.
Still waiting for a big signing
5:05 p.m. CT: The Vikings’ quiet first day of free agency continued — but they did sign safety Bubba Bolden. The 25-year-old, who most recently played for the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions, worked out for the team Friday.
Bolden is likely to be a depth option, having never played an NFL snap. He went undrafted in 2022 and was suspended by the league in 2024 for three games. Bolden was also suspended in college at USC, where he played for a season before transferring to the University of Miami.
Minnesota has yet to make any major move as of 5 p.m. CT. Byron Murphy Jr. remains a possibility at cornerback, and the team has targeted Will Fries as a guard. The Vikings also eyed defensive tackles, but no deal has surfaced as of this evening.
Sam Darnold leaving for Seattle
4 p.m. CT: Quarterback Sam Darnold agreed to terms with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday afternoon, league sources told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Darnold’s deal is for three years and worth $100.5 million with $55 million guaranteed. The contract is similar to the deal Baker Mayfield received during last year’s free-agent cycle, which is in line with the season Darnold produced for the Vikings.
Once the Seahawks traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, Darnold landing in Seattle seemed inevitable. He had experience with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and the Seahawks needed a starter. Meanwhile, the Vikings have been ready to transition to J.J. McCarthy, whom the team selected with the 10th pick in the 2024 draft.
Darnold’s departure closes the loop on a dreamy season for the Vikings. It also leaves Minnesota with a question, however: Who will they pair with McCarthy? The favorite is Daniel Jones, according to league sources, but Jones is also receiving interest from the Indianapolis Colts. If he heads to Indianapolis, the Vikings may have to get creative with other veteran options.
Seahawks tab Sam Darnold to replace Geno Smith, agree on 3-year deal
Mullens, Mundt set to join Jaguars
3:40 p.m. CT: Two Vikings who played supplemental roles in recent years, quarterback Nick Mullens and tight end Johnny Mundt, agreed to terms with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, according to league sources. Interest from Jacksonville makes sense considering the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator is 28-year-old Grant Udinski, who most recently spent three seasons in Minnesota.
Mundt was one of head coach Kevin O’Connell’s favorite players, and he was serviceable in 2024 before tight end T.J. Hockenson returned from his ACL tear. Mullens started three games in 2023 after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles. He threw for more than 1,300 yards but had more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (seven).
The Vikings have solid depth at both positions. Hockenson and Oliver will hold down the tight end room, while the Vikings also like backup quarterback Brett Rypien. If anything, this speaks to the level of trust Udinski had in Minnesota with multiple players.
Patrick Jones going to Carolina
3:20 p.m. CT: Patrick Jones II, who played considerable snaps last season for the Vikings, signed Monday with the Carolina Panthers. His two-year deal is worth up to $20 million, according to league sources. It’s a move that mirrors D.J. Wonnum’s departure last spring.
Jones began the 2024 season with four sacks in the first two games. A knee injury affected his production down the stretch, but he still finished with a career-high seven sacks in his contract year.
A third-round pick of the Vikings in 2021, Jones never really broke out although the team hoped his development would follow the arc of Danielle Hunter. Because Minnesota has ample depth at edge rusher (Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner), it decided it would benefit most from Jones leaving and helping the Vikings’ compensatory pick formula.
Jonathan Allen visits with Vikings
1:34 p.m. CT: Former Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen will visit the Vikings this afternoon, according to team sources. Minnesota wants to revamp its interior defensive line, and Allen is an experienced option who is represented by Minnesota-based agency IFA.
Allen recently turned 30, and the Vikings typically prefer to spend on younger players in free agency. Allen, though, is a two-time Pro Bowler who has amassed more than seven sacks in three separate seasons.
The question will likely come down to cost. Allen is expected to have multiple suitors, and the Vikings prefer not to overextend themselves for aging players. Minnesota is also reportedly eyeing other interior defenders.
CB Isaiah Rodgers agrees to deal
12:47 p.m. CT: The Vikings agreed to terms with free-agent cornerback Isaiah Rodgers on Monday afternoon, according to league sources. Rodgers’ deal spans two years and is worth up to $15 million.
This move hints at what might happen with cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., who has been a priority for the Vikings this offseason. Rodgers, 27, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 170 pounds, could fill a corner void.
Rodgers was a sixth-round pick in 2020. He was suspended for the entire 2023 season for violating the NFL’s gambling policy but played 328 defensive snaps for the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.
Vikings keep P Ryan Wright
11:15 a.m. CT: The Vikings signed punter Ryan Wright to a one-year, $1.75 million deal, according to a team source. The contract was finalized Sunday night.
Among 37 qualified punters in 2024, Wright ranked 33rd in the percentage of punts placed inside the 10-yard line. Minnesota has not been overjoyed by his production in recent years, but Wright’s return maintains familiarity for the Vikings’ special teams unit. Minnesota will likely explore the punter market in or after the NFL Draft. The same goes for the punt returner spot.
Byron Murphy Jr. set to hit the market
9 a.m. CT: The Vikings have been determined to keep cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. because of what he means to defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ system. But as of early Monday morning, Murphy appeared destined to hit the free-agent market.
This makes it less likely that the 27-year-old will return to Minnesota. First, a $4.2 million dead cap hit will hit the Vikings’ books. And second, another team could be willing to pay Murphy around $20 million a year, especially in an otherwise lackluster free-agent market. If that’s the case, the Vikings will have to adapt at cornerback with multiple low-cost options like former Raiders corner Nate Hobbs. The Vikings could also pursue a Murphy-type replacement via the draft.
March 9
Vikings re-sign Aaron Jones
The Vikings inked Aaron Jones to a two-year extension on Sunday. Keeping the 30-year-old running back had been a priority since the season ended, and he should pair nicely with a running back via the 2025 NFL Draft.
Minnesota gave the veteran a sizable deal worth $20 million over two years, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. The deal includes $13 million in guaranteed salary.
Even at his age, Jones was the best free-agent running back option. Signing Jones also establishes another offseason in which the Vikings have worked closely with agent Drew Rosenhaus, who represents Jones and several other free-agent options.
Aaron Jones agrees to deal to stay with Vikings: Why the pairing makes sense
March 6
Theo Jackson gets extension
The Vikings signed safety Theo Jackson to an extension on Thursday morning. His new deal will run through 2027, and it includes two fully guaranteed seasons worth a total of $12.615 million. Jackson, 26, has impressed Minnesota’s staff in training camp and during spot play in recent years. The Vikings rewarding him with this contract indicates he’s likely to start in 2025.
This, of course, has ramifications for the safety room as a whole. Camryn Bynum is set to hit free agency. The Vikings negotiated an extension last fall with Bynum’s representatives but could not find common ground. If Harrison Smith decides to return for 2025, Bynum will most likely land elsewhere. That would leave Smith and Jackson as the two deep safeties with versatile defender Josh Metellus occupying the box.
Speaking of Metellus, that’s the best way to think about Jackson’s new deal. The Vikings believed in a fairly inexperienced player and secured him with a team-friendly contract that offers Jackson security.
March 4
Sam Darnold to hit free agency
Minnesota did not franchise-tag quarterback Sam Darnold ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. This inaction eliminated the possibility of tagging and then trading Darnold. It also leaves the 27-year-old’s future up in the air.
Even NFL insiders are in the dark about Darnold’s landing spot — and what his market might look like. Teams such as the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and Indianapolis Colts need quarterbacks. The Giants may be willing to pay Darnold the most, but would he want to return to New York after his experience with the Jets?
A return to Minnesota is also not out of the question. Both publicly and privately, the Vikings have spoken optimistically about J.J. McCarthy, but he is also coming off of a torn meniscus. If Darnold is available at a price tag that does not severely limit their ability to improve the roster elsewhere, coach Kevin O’Connell might prefer to bring him back.
Sam Darnold could still return to Vikings after franchise-tag deadline passes
(Photo of Sam Darnold: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
