2025 NFL free agency: Vikings’ season didn’t end as they hoped, so they fixed what went wrong
It’s hard to say a season that started 14-2 was ultimately a disappointment, but the Minnesota Vikings had to feel a little empty at the end.
The Vikings didn’t win a division title. They got dominated by the Detroit Lions in the season finale, which decided the NFC North. Then they fell completely flat in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in a wild-card playoff game.
The lone positive from that disappointment is the Vikings’ front office obviously wasn’t satisfied. The Vikings weren’t happy to see their defense get run through by Jahmyr Gibbs or the offensive line blown apart by the Rams a week later. So they fixed it.
The Vikings made the decision to move on from last season’s quarterback, Sam Darnold, and instead use that extra cap space to spend like crazy as free agency opened.
It’s not a plan without risk, but it’s clear Minnesota knew exactly how it wanted to attack the offseason.
Vikings had key choice to make at QB
The quarterback decision had to come before anything else. Darnold was excellent for most of last season, getting three fifth-place votes for NFL MVP. It would have been reasonable to sign Darnold to an extension or even spend to franchise tag him. But the Vikings didn’t tag him and Darnold left to the Seattle Seahawks on a reasonable three-year, $100.5 million deal.
The Vikings probably could have topped that offer. Other teams likely would have. The Vikings made the choice to see it through with J.J. McCarthy instead.
McCarthy was the 10th pick of last year’s draft and never appeared in a regular-season game. He played (and played well) in one preseason game but suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Vikings stuck by their draft evaluation and will roll with McCarthy. It’s risky, considering McCarthy’s injury and the fact that he hasn’t played in a regular-season game. If Darnold plays well with Seattle and McCarthy doesn’t pan out, it will be questioned why Minnesota changed course after a 14-win season.
But letting Darnold go allowed Minnesota to attack those weaknesses that seemed glaring in those final two games of the season. They’re giving McCarthy a chance to succeed.
Vikings spend big in free agency
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was aggressive as the so-called legal tampering period started on Monday, and even beforehand.
The Vikings re-signed running back Aaron Jones before he hit the market. Jones was coming off a good season, picking up 1,546 yards from scrimmage. He got $20 million over two years. The Vikings also retained cornerback Byron Murphy, coming off his first Pro Bowl, for $66 million over three years.
Then Adofo-Mensah got to work on the lines. He agreed to deals with center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries, both from the Colts. Fries got $88 million over five years and Kelly got $18 million over two years. Then he landed a couple of tackles, Javon Hargrave from the 49ers and a big move for Jonathan Allen, who the Commanders cut after being unable to trade him. Allen agreed to a deal worth $60 million over three years. Allen, Kelly and Hargrave have combined for eight Pro Bowls. Fries hasn’t made a Pro Bowl but he was rapidly becoming one of the league’s better guards before a leg injury cut his 2024 season short.
These were quality additions. The Vikings, who will get left tackle Christian Darrisaw back from a season-ending knee injury, will block better. They will be much more formidable in the interior of the defensive line. And they didn’t lose two of their key players from last season, Murphy and Jones.
The NFC North looks really good. The Chicago Bears went on a spending spree of their own. The Lions won 15 games last season. The Packers made the playoffs with the youngest roster in the NFL, the second straight season they did so.
The Vikings wanted to do more than just keep pace with the division and what they accomplished last season. If their plan at quarterback works out, a 14-win team from last season might be even better.
