The former Minnesota Vikings running back and the San Francisco 49ers have reportedly agreed to a four-year contract that will pay him $30 million.
The writing was on the wall following the Minnesota Vikings’ disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in last season’s NFC Championship.
Soon-to-be free-agent running back Jerick McKinnon took questions as the Vikings cleaned out their lockers on the following day and talked about some of his goals for the near future.
"“I want to be the guy. I don’t put in all the work in the offseason to come back and be in this role. I appreciate the role. It worked out well, but I want bigger and better things for myself.”"
With Dalvin Cook returning from a torn ACL for Minnesota in 2018, McKinnon knew that his touches would likely go down if he were to re-sign with the Vikings this year. Can’t blame him one bit for wanting to be in a place where he can play his absolute best.
It appears as though McKinnon may have found that bigger role he was talking about a couple of months back.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday, the young running back will sign a deal to join the San Francisco 49ers once the new league year begins later in the day at 4 p.m. EST.
One of the most surprising deals of free agency will be Jerrick McKinnon's with the 49ers: It is expected to be a four-year deal worth $30 million -- an average of $7.5 million per year, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2018
If the value of McKinnon’s contract with the 49ers is indeed true, his average salary will be the fourth-highest among NFL running backs in 2018. He should be taking his agent out to a very nice dinner once this deal is signed.
The amount of money San Francisco is giving McKinnon seems to indicate that he could possibly be their starter for next season. Which is a little interesting considering he never played his best as a starter in Minnesota.
Still, McKinnon should be able to be successful in whatever role the 49ers give him next year. The offensive system run by San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan is one that gives running backs a good amount of opportunities to make plays in the open field.
Next: Realistic free-agent options for the Vikings' offense in 2018
It’s a little bittersweet that McKinnon will not be returning to the Vikings, as he was a favorite among fans and teammates. But the running back had to take the opportunity given to him by the 49ers and he will now be attempting to prove that he can be one of the best at his position in the entire league.