The Minnesota Vikings hit towering home runs with their free agent acquisitions of quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Aaron Jones last offseason, both of whom the team signed to one-year deals.
And while both signings still look fantastic as the franchise prepares to take on the Detroit Lions in Week 18 for the NFC North Division title and the No. 1 seed in the conference, a somber reality is also setting in — both men are going to want to get paid this March and both of them are going to deserve it.
The Vikings are in a great place financially heading into 2025 with more than $78 million in projected salary cap space, according to the most recent calculations from Spotrac. Still, if the team has to make a decision between one or the other, the 27-year-old quarterback is far more likely to remain in purple and gold than the 30-year-old running back whose injury history the Vikings must manage in both how — and how much — they utilize him.
Minnesota’s 2025 draft picks are exceedingly thin with just one first-round selection and two fifth-rounders as of early November. Considering how important it will be to have a quality running back alongside Darnold and/or J.J. McCarthy next season, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. listed the Vikings among a small group of organizations he thinks will be in play to draft Boise State standout Ashton Jeanty in the first round.
“Jeanty could easily get picked in the 10-15 range. The elite talents still go quickly, and Jeanty falls into that category,” Kiper wrote on Monday, December 30. “I also think the Vikings and [Pittsburgh] Steelers could make the move if Jeanty slides a little bit. They both have pending free agents at RB1 right now in [Jones] and Najee Harris, respectively.”
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