The Minnesota Vikings firmly have their sights set on 2024, but when the 2025 offseason arrives, retooling the secondary will be high on their agenda.
At safety, Harrison Smith is entering his age 36 season and has a potential out in his contract at the end of the season. Fellow starter Camryn Bynum is currently playing out the final year of his rookie deal.
At cornerback, the Vikings have little shored up beyond 2024, other than Mekhi Blackmon, who will be working his way back from a season-ending knee injury. Veterans Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin and Byron Murphy Jr. are all impending 2025 free agents.
The Vikings could certainly bring most or all of those guys back, but with the sixth-most projected cap space in the NFL, they could also look to make a free agent splash elsewhere.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report released his first 2025 Free Agent Big Board of the season on Wednesday, and he predicts the Vikings will use some of those cap dollars on four-time All-Pro safety Justin Simmons of the Atlanta Falcons.
“The Vikings, who have $77.8 million in projected cap space, could also be interested in Simmons,” wrote Knox, who ranked Simmons No. 23 overall on his big board and mentioned the Washington Commanders as potential competition. “Minnesota will have playoff aspirations in 2025 and may have needs at safety.”
Simmons was a salary cap casualty of the Denver Broncos in the offseason, and it was an unpopular one among Broncos fans coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2023. He landed with the Falcons on a one-year deal worth just $7.5 million, and he’s unlikely to have a huge market in 2025 free agency, given his age and position.
Buy or sell: Justin Simmons to the Minnesota Vikings in 2025
Working against a potential marriage between the Vikings and Simmons, though, is that he plays the same position as Smith, who’s five years older but playing at just as high a level. Smith actually leads all Vikings defensive players in snaps (514) through eight games this season.
Smith isn’t going anywhere. He’s under contract through 2025, and the team’s much more likely to rework that deal and allow him to retire a Viking than it is to target a new veteran at the position in free agency.
The verdict: Sell.
More Minnesota Vikings news:
NFL trade deadline 2024 winners and losers: How Vikings fared according to the experts
Who is John Parker Romo? Vikings have new kicker with rookie Will Reichard headed for IR
NFL picks, score predictions for Week 10: Minnesota Vikings vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
NFL power rankings Week 10: Vikings back in top-5 conversation after 6-2 start
