Minnesota Vikings News

Since entering the league in 2020, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has established himself as one of the truly elite players in the NFL at his position. However, the 26-year-old battled through a down year by his own lofty standards in 2025, recording 84 receptions for 1,048 yards and just two touchdowns on 141 targets across 17 games. Most of Jefferson's struggles can be chalked up to poor quarterback play in Minnesota, as the team spent most of the year with J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz as its primary signal-callers. While McCarthy could still be in the mix in 2026, the Vikings signed former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray over the offseason. Murray has had his own issues in recent years, but he still brings a much higher level of baseline production and should at least stabilize the Minnesota passing game. As long as Jefferson stays healthy, he should re-emerge as a clear fantasy WR1 in 2026 and beyond. In dynasty formats, now may be the only chance for managers to try and buy low on the four-time All-Pro and 2022 Offensive Player of the Year.

The number 10 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has struggled to get his professional career on track to this point. After missing his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus, McCarthy was handed the starting role in Minnesota heading into 2025. Across 10 games, the 23-year-old completed just 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. McCarthy also missed time due to ankle, hand, and head injuries. The Vikings made a big addition to their quarterback room over the offseason, signing former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. While Murray is also coming off a down year, he's established a far higher level of NFL production than McCarthy heading into 2026. While Minnesota plans to hold an open competition during training camp, McCarthy will have to show major improvement over the summer to hold onto the starting role. In dynasty formats, McCarthy's fantasy value has never been lower than it is right now.

The Minnesota Vikings will pick up the fifth-year option on wide receiver Jordan Addison, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. The fifth-year option will pay Addison $18 million fully guaranteed for the 2027 season. The Vikings still believe in Addison despite posting a career-low 610 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 42 catches (79 targets) in 14 games in his third year in the league. The 24-year-old former 23rd overall pick in 2023 out of USC had career-low numbers across the board, but it wasn't all his fault. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled with consistency and injuries in his first full year as the Vikings' starter under center, and he could just never get on the same page with either Addison or All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson. This could be a great time to buy low on Addison in dynasty leagues, hoping that he can bounce back in 2026 and beyond with Kyler Murray potentially having the leg up to start for the Vikings at QB. Addison had 133 catches on 207 targets for 1,786 yards and 19 total touchdowns in his first two seasons in the NFL.

Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray's (foot) fantasy football value in dynasty/keeper leagues was trending down in recent years and fell to a low point in 2025, when he appeared in just five games due to a sprained foot. The 28-year-old former first overall pick in 2019 out of Oklahoma threw for just 962 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions while rushing for 173 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Despite injury-riddled seasons in two of the last three years, Murray should enter training camp this summer as the slight favorite to win the starting duties in Minnesota over J.J. McCarthy. If Murray stays healthy and plays up to his abilities (primarily as a rusher for fantasy purposes), he will have the weapons in Minnesota to become a favorite for Comeback Player of the Year in 2026. A fresh start in a new city could be just what the doctor ordered for Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler in 2020 and 2021, especially with a QB guru as head coach in Kevin O'Connell. If Murray ends up winning the QB job, he'll have QB1 upside in single-year fantasy leagues.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. could find himself in a familiar role next season. The Vikings re-signed Jones to share the backfield with Jordan Mason, creating a similar dynamic to last year. The 31-year-old was a low-end RB2 when healthy, but he missed five full games due to injury and exited others early. As a result, he finished the regular season with a modest 548 rushing yards, 199 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns. The Vikings have gradually gotten Mason more involved, while Jones' age and injuries have resulted in him handling fewer touches. He's still going to get rushing yards, receiving yards, and touchdowns -- just not nearly as much as during the peak of his career. The good news for Jones is that his return indicates it should just be him and Mason in the backfield, and the Vikings won't make any splashes at the running back position in free agency or the draft. Still, Jones' days as an every-down back and fantasy RB1 are over. He's falling to the RB3/flex tier for 2026.

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson continues to trend in the wrong direction for dynasty fantasy football managers. Hockenson is coming off some of the worst seasons of his career. He was the TE26 and TE34 in the last two years, and he was limited to a modest 51 catches for 438 yards and two touchdowns in 2025. The good news for Hockenson is that he remains the No. 1 tight end in Minnesota after the team didn't bring in any significant competition during free agency. He could also get a slight quarterback upgrade, given that he'll be catching passes from the better half of J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray. With that said, a quarterback change can only do so much. Hockenson needs to get healthy and productive, two things he hasn't done since 2023. There's a little bit of buy-low appeal here in hopes that the veteran can bounce back as a top-18 fantasy tight end, but it's hard to envision a path to him ranking as a TE1 next year. He's more of a TE3 with TE2 upside.

The Athletic's Alec Lewis reports that the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles are two teams that could trade for Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard. Both the Colts and Eagles are in win-now mode, have explored the possibilities of signing Trey Hendrickson and Jaelan Phillips, and have invested in edge rushers in recent years. Greenard would also be a good fit with both defensive coordinators Lou Anarumo of the Colts and Vic Fangio of the Eagles. The Colts have young edge rusher Laiatu Latu, but the depth behind him is questionable, at best. Greenard had 12 sacks in 2024, but that production dipped to just three sacks in Minnesota in 2025. He was more effective as a run-stopper, but he only played in 10 games due to injuries. Before 2024, Greenard had never played all 17 games in a season. Lewis thinks that anything less than a Day 2 pick in exchange for Greenard will be a deal-breaker.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison posted career-low numbers across the board in 2025, finishing the year with 42 receptions for 610 yards and three touchdowns on 79 targets across 14 games. Some of Addison's struggles were self-inflicted, as he was suspended for the first three games of 2025 due to a violation of the league's substance abuse policy. However, Addison was also negatively impacted by the extremely inconsistent quarterback play Minnesota received from the combination of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. While the Vikings still have question marks at the quarterback position, the team's offseason acquisition of former Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray should give it a more stable passing game floor. Addison recorded nearly 1,800 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns over his first two seasons in the NFL, so an improved offensive environment in Minnesota should give him a chance to return to previously demonstrated levels of production. Coming off a down year, Addison could be a solid buy-low target for fantasy managers in dynasty formats.

Minnesota running back Jordan Mason was a popular sleeper pick after being traded from the 49ers and signing a two-year, $10.5 million contract extension with the Vikings in the opening days of the 2025 league year. Instead, he spent most of the season as the 1B to 30-year-old Aaron Jones. Mason finished the year with only five more total opportunities than the nine-year veteran despite playing in four more games. However, Mason was the more efficient option on the ground, outgaining Jones by more than half a yard per carry and leading the team with six rushing touchdowns. With the Vikings signing quarterback Kyler Murray to a one-year deal, the team could find itself in more positive game scripts, which should benefit Mason more than Jones. Murray's scrambling could also eat into the running back passing work, but that has never been a part of Mason's game, as his 15 targets and 14 receptions in 2025 both marked career highs. While Mason was never able to consistently string together week-winning performances, he showed flashes while Jones was sidelined, and with the latter heading into 2026 with nearly 2,000 career touches, Mason could again be a popular breakout candidate.

The Philadelphia Eagles are showing interest in Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. Berman notes that the team is monitoring his availability even after signing edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie. Greenard is coming off his sixth season in the NFL, during which he appeared in 12 games with three sacks, one forced fumble, and 59 tackles. It was a step backward for the veteran defender, who had combined for 24.5 total sacks between 2023 and 2024. Adding a player of his caliber would be huge for an Eagles defense that lost Jaelan Phillips and Joshua Uche in free agency. As Berman notes, any sort of Greenard trade would have its complications. Not only do the Eagles and Vikings need to agree on trade compensation, but a deal could also require Philadelphia to replace the pass rusher's existing contract with a new, long-term extension.

The Minnesota Vikings are adding quarterback depth on Thursday by re-signing veteran Carson Wentz to an undisclosed one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Despite dealing with a significant shoulder injury last year, Wentz started five games for Minnesota in 2025 and kept the team alive. He will now return to the Vikes in a QB room that now includes former Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy, and Max Brosmer. The 33-year-old completed 65.1% of his pass attempts in his five starts last year, throwing for 1,216 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions while filling in for the injured McCarthy. It was an uphill battle for Wentz despite plenty of receiving options, and he will head into his 11th year in the NFL as the QB3 for the Vikings. Wentz underwent season-ending surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder in late October, but he's expected to be a full participant in the team's offseason program.

Two-time All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson is coming off the worst season of his career, his sixth with the Minnesota Vikings. Following a season of uninspired quarterback play from J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer, which led to career lows for Jefferson in terms of receiving yards and touchdowns, the team made a splash on Thursday by agreeing to a one-year deal with former first overall pick Kyler Murray. While Murray has never topped 4,000 passing yards in a season and has a spotty track record of supporting number one receivers, if he can reach anything approaching league-average quarterback play, Jefferson can thrive. A 31.4% target share in 2025 kept Jefferson afloat with some of the worst quarterback play in the league, while his lifetime average of 9.27 targets per game is a top-10 all-time number and one that Murray would be wise to continue bumping up if he wants to hit 2027 free agency on a high note.

After what was essentially a redshirt rookie season, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled through his first year in a starting role in 2025, dealing with injuries and inefficiencies that kept him out of seven games. With the Vikings officially agreeing to a one-year deal with Kyler Murray on Thursday, McCarthy now faces legitimate competition for the starting job. Both first-round picks in their respective draft classes, with Murray going first overall in 2019, an upside case can be made for either player, though consistency has proven to be more of an issue for both. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has long been praised for elevating his quarterbacks, and with a solid supporting cast and playoff aspirations, he now has nearly six months to pull a starter out of the highly flawed but arguably most talented room he's ever coached.

The Minnesota Vikings have signed free-agent quarterback Kyler Murray to a one-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. The deal includes a clause that says Murray cannot be assigned a franchise tag or transition tag next offseason. He'll be paid $36.8 million in 2026, but the bulk of that will come from the Arizona Cardinals' payroll. Minnesota will only be on the hook for the league minimum amount. Murray, a former No. 1 overall pick, is coming off a disappointing seventh and final season in Arizona. Injuries limited him to just five starts last year, and he only produced 962 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also had 173 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. It was a weird end to Murray's tenure with the Cardinals, as he was technically on IR with a season-ending injury but may have simply been benched for Jacoby Brissett. Regardless of the actual reason, the bottom line is that the Cardinals and Murray went their separate ways this offseason, leading the quarterback to sign with Minnesota. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has repeatedly been praised for his ability to identify successful quarterback reclamation projects, but it's far from guaranteed that Murray will be able to bounce back. In fact, he's not even a lock to earn playing time. Incumbent starter and former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy will presumably compete with Murray in a wide-open position battle during training camp.

The Minnesota Vikings have released safety Harrison Smith, according to an announcement on the team's official website. Smith's release will be categorized as the post-June 1 variety, which allows the Vikings to release him immediately while still spreading his cap hit over two seasons. A defensive legend in Minnesota, Smith has spent his entire 14-year career with the Vikings, amassing 207 appearances, 203 starts, and six Pro Bowl nods. He remained effective at 36 years old last season, producing two interceptions, 10 passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one sack, and 54 tackles. The Vikings' announcement describes Smith's release as procedural and leaves the door open for him to sign a different contract that would bring him back to Minnesota for a 15th season. If he does choose to continue his NFL career, he'll have the option to explore opportunities with all 32 NFL teams. However, it's difficult to envision him wearing anything other than purple and gold.

Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (foot) will visit with the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports. Minnesota is offering a starting spot as they look to challenge first-round QB J.J. McCarthy, and a deal with Murray could be finalized in the next 24 hours. However, Murray and his representatives are also expected to explore several options as a backup in 2026 for teams that could need a starting signal-caller in 2027. The Vikings are the 28-year-old Murray's best chance for a starting gig right away and to rehab his fantasy football value after he played in only five games in 2025 due to a foot sprain. Injuries have been an issue for the former No. 1 overall pick out of Oklahoma, but when healthy, he offers plenty of dual-threat abilities and would have a strong WR duo to work with in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. If Murray signs with the Vikings, he'll be one of the most obvious QB bounce-back candidates in the NFL.

The Minnesota Vikings and running back Aaron Jones Sr. agreed to a revised contract on Wednesday to keep him in town for the 2026 season, sources told the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Jones will lower his base salary to $5.5 million to stay with the Vikings for one more season. Minnesota was getting ready to release the 31-year-old veteran at the start of the new league year before this contract restructure. Jones battled injuries throughout the 2025 season and was limited to 12 games, finishing with 132 carries (his lowest total since his rookie season in 2017 with the Green Bay Packers) for 548 yards and two touchdowns. He added 28 catches for 199 yards and another TD on 41 targets. Jones should be able to bounce back with better health in 2026, but the Vikings might also prefer to give backfield mate Jordan Mason a bigger workload in an effort to keep Jones healthy. There's also the possibility of the Vikes adding to the RB room via the NFL draft in April.

Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (foot), who will officially be released at the start of the new league year on Wednesday, and the Minnesota Vikings have "mutual interest," according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Nothing appears imminent between the Vikings and Murray, and although the 28-year-old former first overall pick can also talk to other teams, the most likely landing spot for the dual-threat QB will be in Minnesota. If he were to land with the Vikings, Murray would probably be the favorite to start in 2026 over J.J. McCarthy, as long as he's fully recovered from the foot sprain that knocked him out for the final 12 games of last year. Murray's rushing ability alone puts him in the low-end QB1 conversation in fantasy, but in Minnesota, he'd definitely have the best chance of bouncing back with a strong WR duo in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. After drafting McCarthy in the first round in 2024, the Vikings are having second thoughts as to whether he's franchise QB material.

The Las Vegas Raiders agreed to terms with free-agent wide receiver Jalen Nailor on a three-year, $35 million deal that includes $23 million guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Nailor had a bigger role the last two seasons for the Minnesota Vikings, combining for 57 catches on 95 targets for 858 yards and 10 touchdowns over 34 games (15 starts) the last two years. The 27-year-old won't be asked to be a top wideout in his new home, but he should at least be a top-three pass-catcher in Vegas, barring another big acquisition at the position in free agency. The former sixth-rounder's fantasy football arrow is definitely pointing up now that he should have a clearer path to consistent targets after being overshadowed by both Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in Minnesota. Nailor's connection with the expected No. 1 overall pick, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, will go a long way in determining how big a role he'll have in his new digs. For now, he's an interesting sleeper at wideout to consider this fall.

The Minnesota Vikings and linebacker Eric Wilson agreed to terms on a three-year, $22.5 million deal with $12.5 million fully guaranteed on Sunday night, a source told Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Wilson will more than double his previous average per year. In his return to Minnesota in 2025, the 31-year-old veteran had 115 tackles (his second 100-tackle season), a career-high 6.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, and four forced fumbles in 17 games played. Wilson's big season landed him as the No. 16 fantasy linebacker in IDP formats in 2025. The bad news for Wilson's fantasy value moving forward is that he's expected to be in more of a rotational role for the Vikings next year at inside linebacker. Wilson has 515 tackles (277 solo), 17.5 sacks, 44 tackles for loss, 35 QB hits, five interceptions, 11 pass breakups, seven forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in his nine NFL campaigns.