How much time do the Minnesota Vikings have left with their core group of players to try and earn the franchise’s first Super Bowl win?
Over the past few years, the Minnesota Vikings have been slowly building their roster through the NFL Draft and free agency to the point where it is currently one of the most talented in the league heading into the 2019 season.
A good amount of players have remained with the Vikings for the last four years or longer including Stefon Diggs, Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, Adam Thielen, Anthony Barr, Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes, Eric Kendricks, Kyle Rudolph, Danielle Hunter, Anthony Harris, and Trae Waynes.
However, guys like Griffen, Joseph, Rudolph, and Rhodes are entering the back half of their careers and their time in Minnesota may be ending sooner than later. If the Vikings are hoping to win a Super Bowl with these four players on their roster, they better figure out a way to accomplish this during the next season or two.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr recently listed a few teams from around the league who might not have much of window left to win a championship before they are forced to part ways with some of their top talent. The Vikings were one of the five squads Orr selected.
"“If the all-in gamble on Kirk Cousins a year ago wasn’t clear enough (as well as the in-season coordinator firing later that season), this is a team that feels the pressure of an exceptional but aging defense and a tandem of skill position players who they’re desperate to maximize while they’re still in their primes.”"
Aging defense? That may be a bit of a stretch since eight of the 11 projected starters for Minnesota’s defense in 2019 are under the age of 30. Throw in the Vikings’ defensive depth and the majority of their top reserves are no older than 25.
Orr was probably referring to guys like Griffen and Joseph who are currently over 30-years-old and likely don’t have many productive seasons remaining in their NFL careers.
Minnesota is pretty young on the offensive side of the ball as well. Seven of the 11 players projected to start for the Vikings’ offense in 2019 are under the age of 30. And even someone like Kirk Cousins, who will turn 31 in August, his age is still pretty young for a quarterback in the NFL today.
So in terms of age, which seems to be the main fuel for Orr’s argument, it doesn’t appear like Minnesota’s championship window is going to be closing anytime soon.