Which current members of the Minnesota Vikings might not be around in 2021?
During Mike Zimmer’s tenure as the team’s head coach, the Minnesota Vikings have been fortunate enough to have a number of players stick around for multiple seasons.
This year was really the first time under Zimmer in which the Vikings had to let go of a good amount of familiar faces. But since the head coach has been able to remain with Minnesota for as long as he has, veteran players being shown the door is just something that is unavoidable.
With as much roster turnover the Vikings experienced earlier this year, especially on the defensive side of the ball, they likely won’t have to make as many changes to their locker room in 2021. However, there are still plenty of guys Minnesota could look to move on from during the upcoming offseason.
Some of these players are scheduled to be free agents in 2021 and re-signing them is something that the Vikings might just not be able to afford. While others are veterans who have contracts that are probably paying them more than they are worth.
Out of everyone on Minnesota’s current roster, which players might not be taking the field for the purple and gold in their 2021 regular-season opener?
Kyle Rudolph – TE
Kyle Rudolph has been with the Vikings since 2011 when the team used a second-round pick to draft him. Rudolph has had some productive seasons during his tenure with Minnesota, but he has never been able to develop into a game-changing tight end that guys like Travis Kelce and George Kittle currently are.
This year, the Vikings veteran tight end is on pace to finish with just 41 catches for 486 yards and one touchdown. Those numbers aren’t impressive enough for someone like Rudolph who has the fourth-highest cap hit of any NFL tight end in 2021.
After this season, Rudolph still has three years left on his current deal with Minnesota. It would probably be smarter for the Vikings to let him go in 2022 instead of 2021 since they would be left with a lower amount of dead money.
But Minnesota might have to make some tough roster decisions next year due to the salary cap possibly decreasing and Rudolph could be one of the guys the team chooses to cut in order to create more cap space.
The Vikings can either cut the veteran tight end in 2021 and free up $5.1 million in cap space or they can keep him on the roster for another season with him taking up $9.45 million of their salary cap.
Riley Reiff – LT
Riley Reiff was almost cut by the Vikings this summer, so a potential departure from the team in 2021 is something that certainly can’t be ruled out.
Reiff was approached by Minnesota to take a pay cut right before the start of the regular season after the team had just acquired defensive end Yannick Ngakoue in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After some speculation that the veteran offensive tackle was likely on his way out, he decided to agree to a restructured deal and remain with the Vikings.
After this season, Reiff only has one year left on his current deal with Minnesota. That final year comes with a cap hit of $13.95 million and that will be the 12th-highest cap hit of any NFL left tackle in 2021.
Reiff has performed well this season for Minnesota and it might result in the team keeping him on the roster for the final year of his contract. But as we mentioned with Kyle Rudolph, the Vikings might need to make some tough decisions during the upcoming offseason due to the salary cap potentially decreasing in 2021 and Reiff could be someone the team chooses to let go in order to create more cap space.
Anthony Harris – S
It was pretty surprising when the Vikings decided to use the franchise tag on Anthony Harris back in March. Most figured Harris was going to end up signing with a new team, but Minnesota clearly wanted to bring him back for at least one more season.
But since he was tagged, the Vikings safety will hit the free-market once again in 2021. Harris’ price tag probably won’t be as high as it was during the 2020 offseason, but he should still be able to land a pretty lucrative deal wherever he ends up.
Compared to how he performed in 2019 with Minnesota, Harris has taken a bit of a step back this year. Last season, the Vikings safety was able to come up with a total of six interceptions. Through 11 games this year, however, Harris hasn’t been able to pick off a single pass.
Harris has still been delivering solid performances this season and he’s already set a new career-high with 73 total tackles. But the veteran safety probably hasn’t done enough for Minnesota to re-sign him during an offseason where money is likely going to be very, very tight.
Eric Wilson – LB
This season, Eric Wilson has been given a great opportunity thanks to the Vikings losing Anthony Barr to a season-ending injury back in Week 2.
Wilson has been filling in for Barr in Minnesota’s starting defense ever since and he’s come up with a bunch of impressive plays.
In his fourth season with the Vikings, Wilson currently has 79 tackles (five for a loss), seven quarterback hits, four pass breakups, three sacks, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries. The 26-year-old linebacker will be a free agent in 2021 and his performance this year should attract interest from other teams outside of Minnesota.
With Barr expected to return to the field next season, the Vikings probably won’t be able to afford to keep both him and Wilson on their roster. So when choosing between the two next year, Minnesota will likely decide to stick with Barr and let Wilson go get paid elsewhere.
Britton Colquitt – P
Now, Britton Colquitt just signed a new three-year deal with the Vikings this past offseason, so it’s a little disappointing that there’s even a possibility of him not being with the team in 2021.
But Colquitt’s performance has not been good this season and his punt average is currently the lowest it has been since 2015. After 12 weeks, his 45.1 yards per punt average ranks 22nd in the NFL.
Colquitt did actually finish with a 45.2 yards per punt average in 2019, but Minnesota obviously felt he was worth giving another chance. The Vikings likely also brought him back due to his skills as a holder.
Minnesota has been attempting to figure out their kicking situation during Mike Zimmer’s entire tenure as the team’s head coach. With Colquitt and Dan Bailey, the Vikings finally have something good going when it comes to kicking field goals and extra points.
Will Minnesota be willing to deal with Colquitt’s underachieving punt average if it means the kicking game will continue to have success? Or will the Vikings look to move on from him and find a new punter in 2021?
Kirk Cousins – QB
The next five weeks could decide Kirk Cousins’ future with the Vikings. Cousins has already been playing lights out ever since Minnesota returned from their bye. But can he keep it up?
If Cousins’ performance starts to decline and he’s unable to lead the Vikings to the playoffs, it’s possible that the team could look to move on from him during the upcoming offseason.
A trade would be the path for Minnesota to unload him and the best time for the team to do that would be in 2021. Teams would be more willing to trade for Cousins next year when his cap hit is at $31 million rather than in 2022 when his cap hit will skyrocket all the way to $45 million.
6 free agents the Vikings should already be thinking about for 2021
WIth the 2020 season more than halfway over, who are some of the 2021 free agents the Minnesota Vikings should already be thinking about?
The most likely scenario still ends with Cousins suiting up for the Vikings in 2021. But if the right offer comes along, Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman has never been a guy to shy away from a possible trade.