None of the Minnesota Vikings 2020 draft picks have signed their rookie deals.
Typically, the Minnesota Vikings have been able to get all of their rookies under contract well before the team hits the field each summer for the start of training camp.
Three of the Vikings last four top draft selections (Garrett Bradbury, Dalvin Cook, Laquon Treadwell) actually agreed to their rookie deals during the month of May in their respective draft years. While Mike Hughes cut it a bit close in 2018 when he signed his rookie contract less than a week before Minnesota’s training camp begun.
This year, the Vikings were able to add a whopping 15 players during the NFL Draft. However, none of them have signed their rookie deals and the team’s training camp is currently scheduled to open on July 28.
Why haven’t the Minnesota Vikings signed any of their 2020 draft picks?
Something that is a factor this year that hasn’t been previously is the current COVID-19 pandemic. It’s made a tremendous impact throughout the United States and professional sports leagues like the NFL are still attempting to figure out how to avoid losing a significant amount of money this season.
Currently, four of the top five selections in this year’s NFL Draft still haven’t signed their rookie contracts, including No. 1 pick, Joe Burrow.
No one really can pinpoint a specific reason for why most of the rookies around the league have remained unsigned, but some are speculating it has to with the signing bonuses in each deal.
Signing bonuses are fully guaranteed for rookies who were drafted, so teams have to pay this amount to the player no matter what. If teams around the NFL anticipate losing a good chunk of change in 2020 (which is expected), they’re probably holding off on agreeing to any new deals that contractually force them to pay a guaranteed amount of money.
Currently, Minnesota is one of 15 teams around the league who still hasn’t signed a single player from their 2020 draft class. 17 teams have agreed to terms with at least one of this year’s draft selections while the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, and New England Patriots have signed every rookie from their 2020 draft class.
Since Rick Spielman was promoted to be the team’s general manager in 2012, the Vikings have never started training camp without their first-round picks signing their rookie contracts. Will this year be the first?