The end came quickly for the 2024 Minnesota Vikings. Going from potential No. 1 seed to losing in the Wild Card round in a 16-day window is a brutal way to end a year but it opens the door to the world of possibilities that is the NFL offseason.
The Vikings will be impact players for the second straight offseason as they have decisions to make with their coaching staff, quarterback, and over $70 million worth of cap space.
Here’s a look at 10 bold predictions that could take place over the coming months and how it could shape the Vikings under another critical spring with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Bold Minnesota Vikings predictions for the 2025 offseason
1. The Vikings will make Kevin O’Connell one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL
Kevin O’Connell hasn’t won a Super Bowl yet nor does he have his first playoff win. But O’Connell is in a position to get paid after leading the Vikings to a 34-17 record with two NFC North titles in his first three years with the Vikings.
FOX Sports's Jay Glazer and ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio have hinted that O’Connell may be irritated by the fact a contract extension hasn’t been completed but there’s no reason for the Vikings not to do it.
O’Connell has overhauled the culture and made the Vikings “super competitive” as the Wilf family desired when firing Mike Zimmer in 2022 and they may spare no expense to make O’Connell one of the highest-paid coaches in the league this spring.
2. Brian Flores will return for a third season as Vikings defensive coordinator
Brian Flores should be a head coach but several factors are getting in the way. Flores’s lawsuit against the NFL for discriminatory hiring practices is still under review and judging by the New England Patriots race to hire Mike Vrabel, it doesn’t seem that many owners are interested in bringing Flores aboard.
If that happens, it will be the Vikings' gain. Flores has transformed Minnesota’s defense into a top-five unit in two years as their defensive coordinator and now gets to add another wave of talent this offseason.
While Flores would like to be a head coach again, the time might not be now and he could return to lead the Vikings defense in 2025.
3. Harrison Smith will return for a 14th season
If Flores comes back, it could mean another season for Harrison Smith. Smith is a big fan of Flores and was still effective, posting the highest Pro Football Focus grade among Vikings safeties at 67.6 last season.
The pending free agency of Camryn Bynum could increase the need for Smith to return and Smith said last March that “if you can do it, it’s pretty hard not to.” If Smith can still perform at a high level, he could be back in Minnesota next fall.
4. The Vikings will lose at least three starters in free agency
We hinted at this in the last prediction, but Bynum isn’t the only Viking defender set for free agency. Starting cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Shaquil Griffin are free agents and starting nickel corner Byron Murphy Jr. is set to reach free agency after a career year in 2024.
Over The Cap estimates the Vikings will have $70.5 million in cap space entering the offseason but they also have plenty of needs. With Bynum set to cash in on an exploding safety market and the advanced age of Griffin and Gilmore, the Vikings' defense could look much different next season.
5. The Vikings will use the franchise tag to trade Sam Darnold
This is the prediction you’ve probably been scrolling down for, but the resolution of the Vikings quarterback situation seems obvious. Darnold had a tremendous season while leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record but his cost is about to go through the roof even after struggling over the last two games.
The franchise tag is risky for the Vikings as Over The Cap estimates it at $41.3 million next season but there are enough quarterback-needy teams and not enough pro-ready prospects in the draft to make Darnold the top option. That could lead someone to cough up a draft pick or two to land Darnold and make him their starter next season.
6. The Vikings will sign an offensive lineman within the first 24 hours of free agency
There were a million things that O’Connell could have ranted about in his press conference after losing to the Los Angeles Rams. But the normally reserved O’Connell went out of his way to mention that “improving the interior foundation of the pocket” should be a top priority this offseason.
This is music to Vikings fans' ears. Garrett Bradbury, Blake Brandel, and Dalton Risner struggled down the stretch and an option like Kansas City’s Trey Smith or Atlanta’s Drew Dalman would be a perfect addition even if it costs more than $10 million per season. If that happens, it will happen quickly and the Vikings will be there to pounce.
7. The Vikings will re-sign Aaron Jones (and draft his replacement)
There were a lot of things that went right in Aaron Jones’s first season with the Vikings. Things went so well that he mentioned he wanted to spend the rest of his career in Minnesota.
With those comments, it’s easy to see the Vikings figuring out a one-year deal for Jones to return. But it’s also easy to see them selecting his replacement in this year’s draft.
The 2025 class is loaded with prospects and the Vikings could be interested in Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty or Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson to fill that void.
Other backs such as Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton could also be on the radar. But it’s a good guess to assume that someone new will be wearing purple next year.
8. The Vikings will acquire a Day 2 pick in the draft
This may happen anyway as Minnesota is projected to receive a compensatory pick after Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter left last season. But the Vikings currently have just four picks in the 2025 draft meaning there might be an additional pick on the way.
Maybe this is as simple as trading Sam Darnold. Or the Vikings could trade down from the 24th overall pick and add a couple of selections along the way. No matter how they get it, the Vikings will likely find a way to get into that Day 2 mix and be able to add another blue-chip talent to the roster.
9. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will get an extension
This isn’t as bold considering the first prediction in this article but it’s worth monitoring. Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell are both entering the final year of their contracts and both deals must get done soon so they don’t pitch to free agents as a lame-duck coach and GM combo.
Adofo-Mensah has had highs and lows during his tenure but he’s completely revamped the Vikings 2022 roster without doing a scorched-earth rebuild similar to the one Ryan Poles has done with the Chicago Bears. The Wilf family will consider that and lock Adofo-Mensah in for the foreseeable future.
10. J.J. McCarthy will be the Week 1 starter for the Vikings in 2025
This isn’t an offseason prediction but it’s one of the most important storylines of the offseason. The Vikings' plan was to let McCarthy take the reigns either late in the 2024 season or to begin the 2025 season but that plan took a detour when he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
We may not know what McCarthy is as an NFL quarterback but if it’s the same as his 27-1 record at Michigan, it could be pretty good. O’Connell already mentioned McCarthy as a franchise quarterback and if all goes well in his recovery, he will be the Vikings starting quarterback in 2025.