Grading the Vikings’ 2025 Free Agency Class

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first three seasons as the Minnesota Vikings general manager all led up to the 2025 free agency, when the Vikings spent the second-most money on players, second only to the New England Patriots.

While the Patriots were playing in the Super Bowl, the Vikings’ season had long since finished after failing to make the playoffs. Finally given the chance to spend big, Adofo-Mensah got it horribly wrong, and it cost him his job. 

Overall Assessment of the Vikings’ 2025 Free Agency Class

The 2025 free agency class was his last, and Adofo-Mensah hasn’t left the Vikings with much for the long term, after also failing in the short term. In total, Adofo-Mensah made 16 signings for a total of $269,532,500. A year later, how has the class aged? The short answer is not very well.

Will Fries (Guard) – 5-year, $87.7 million contract.

Minnesota made a significant commitment to Will Fries, investing time and money in a five-year contract worth over $87 million to make Fries their long-term right guard. There was an element of risk to this move, with Fries having a breakout season in 2024 but only from a five-game sample due to a broken tibia. Fries was fit and ready to start the season and was the only Vikings linemen to play every game—a major plus on an OL that was ravaged by injury.

Fries was solid in his debut season in Minnesota, being called for 3 penalties and allowing 37 pressures and 3 sacks across 989 snaps on offense, earning a 61.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. Those stats would be acceptable if Fries were being paid $3-4 million, but his contract is worth $17 million a year.

Verdict: Minnesota needs more from Fries to justify that contract and will hope that a year on the field post-injury and more comfort in the system will help bring that about. The Vikings also have a new OL coach for the 2026 season in a bid to improve the whole unit.

Byron Murphy (Cornerback) – 3-year, $54 million contract.

Byron Murphy got a big payday on the back of his first-ever Pro Bowl season, where he was a ball hawk – leading the league in interceptions (6) among CBs in 2024. Murphy didn’t snag his first INT until Week 15, following it with another in Week 16. Simply put, he failed to recapture that Pro Bowl form that got him paid.

Verdict: Murphy is a good CB, but he’s not a lockdown CB1 and never has been. The decision to pay him $18 million a year doesn’t look wise right now.

Jonathan Allen (Interior Defensive Lineman) – 3-year, $51 million contract.

The Vikings invested heavily in the interior of the defensive line, emphasizing interior pass rush. Once one of the league’s best interior defenders, the gamble on Jonathan Allen re-finding his form after injuries and a down year didn’t pay off. Allen brought 34 pressures and 4 pressures to the team, and a solid run defense, but we have another case of a player not living up to his contract.

Verdict: The three-year deal given to Allen means there are no significant savings this year, so it is set to be another year of solid veteran play on top-end wages for the Vikings – unless Allen suddenly returns to his best football at 31.

Javon Hargrave (Interior Defensive Lineman) – 2-year, $30 million contract.

Rinse and repeat. Former top-end interior pass-rusher who’s had injuries and a drop in play. Big money was paid, but the contract was not honored. Hargrave had a better season than Allen, but is two years older and only got a two-year contract. Significant cap savings can be made on Hargrave this year.

Verdict: Needing to find $40 million get salary cap compliant, saving $11 million by cutting Hargrave looks imminent. Baltimore has been rumoured as a trade candidate for Hargrave, which would save a further £5 million – an even better result. It’s for the Vikings to get younger at this position through the draft.

Ryan Kelly (Center) – 2-year, $18 million contract.

Ryan Kelly was just what the Vikings needed at center: experienced, knowledgeable of the position’s nuances, and solid in both the run and pass games. Unfortunately, his history of concussions followed him to Minnesota, and his future has to be in doubt heading into the 2026 season.

Verdict: Kelly played in just eight games because of three separate concussions. Most concerning was Kelly coming back to play with a guardian cap only to suffer another concussion. The Vikings need to start looking at a long-term solution at center.

Isaiah Rodgers (Cornerback) – 2-year,  $11 million contract.

Week 3 saw one of the single greatest individual performances you will ever see from a defensive player. Isaiah Rodgers was inspired against the Bengals. Rodgers scored two defensive touchdowns, one from an interception and one from a fumble he forced and recovered himself. He added another forced fumble and a couple of passes defended in an inspired performance that earned Pro Football Focus its first-ever perfect grade. That was Rodgers’ ceiling, and the floor was a lot lower.

Verdict: Rodgers spent too much time playing closer to his floor than his ceiling. He never got near the level of performance he had in that Bengals game again. 2025 was his first season as a starter in the NFL. If he is going to keep that role, he needs to find a lot more consistency.

Eric Wilson (Linebacker) – 1-year, $2.6 million contract.

Undoubtedly, the signing of the season. Eric Wilson returned to where his NFL journey began, and with great success. An injury to Blake Cashman gave Wilson a chance to start, and when Cashman returned, he kept his place ahead of Ivan Pace. Brian Flores used him as a pass rusher to great effect, with Wilson tallying 6.5 sacks – more than double his previous season best.

Verdict: With Wilson and Pace both hitting free agency, I don’t think there’s much argument that Wilson is the one the Vikings need to bring back.

Jeff Okudah (Cornerback) – 1-year, $2.35 million contract.

The last in a lengthy line of Adofo-Mensah failed first-round pick reclamation projects. Once the third overall pick by the Detroit Lions, it’s never quite worked out for Jeff Okudah, who has had several injury problems across his career. He played in the first six games of the season before getting a concussion and never being seen again after being put on IR.

Verdict: Okudah wasn’t good when he played, and the first-round reclamation projects should be binned now that Adofo-Mensah has left town.

Rondale Moore (Wide Receiver) – 1-year, $2 million contract.

Rondale Moore was set to be the team’s punt returner and WR4 before a knee injury suffered in a preseason game saw him ruled out for the entire 2025 season.

Verdict: A sensible signing with a glaring need at return specialist, but with his injury leaving the path clear for undrafted rookie Myles Price to shine. I don’t expect Moore to return next season.

Justin Skule (Tackle) – 1-year, $2 million contract.

Minnesota needed a backup tackle who could start if Christian Darrisaw wasn’t ready to assume his role at left tackle when the season started. Not only did that prove to be the case, but Brian O’Neill has also missed time due to injury, and Darrisaw finished the season back on IR with the same troublesome knee. The Vikings opted for Justin Skule, and he was called upon more than would have been preferable, with nine starts and 578 snaps on offense.

Verdict: There were times when Skule visibly struggled, giving up 29 pressures and 7 sacks across the season. However, he held down the fort reasonably well for a backup tackle. The veteran deserves to come back again for training camp, at least with Darrisaw’s knee issue still lingering.

Carson Wentz (Quarterback) – 1-year, $1.4 million contract.

Minnesota was initially set to go with Sam Howell as QB2, but after undrafted rookie Max Brosmer outshone him, it was time to think again. Carson Wentz was brought in to be the veteran presence behind JJ McCarthy and found himself thrust into action as early as Week 3. Wentz had his struggles, but a 2-3 record while toughing it out through a dislocated shoulder that included a torn labrum and fractured socket, before eventually having season-ending surgery, was a commendable effort.

Verdict: The boy raised in North Dakota got to live out his childhood dream for five weeks and kept the Vikings competitive. I wouldn’t hate seeing him back to compete in training camp.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.