Vikings Rumors Zero In on the New Harrison Smith, a Jordan Addison Trade, McCarthy’s Shaky Future

Saturday’s Purple Rumor Mill brought theories about J.J. McCarthy, Derek Carr, and free-agent cornerback Jaylen Watson. It’s time for Sunday’s batch of Minnesota-Vikings themed rumors. You can read Saturday’s here.

Vikings rumors are stacking up fast, spanning a safety succession plan, Addison trade fodder, and growing uncertainty around McCarthy.

The rumor mill is louder than usual because free agency is just three weeks away.

Latest Nuggets in the Vikings’ Rumor Mill

All the fascinating tidbits in Minnesota’s evolving rumor mill.

Rumor: From free agency, to possibly replace Harrison Smith, the Vikings could sign safety Kamren Curl.

Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports mapped out landing spots for the league’s Top 50 free agents next month, and when Curl’s name surfaced, Minnesota landed in the projection.

He explained, “With Harrison Smith potentially retiring, Minnesota gets his replacement in Curl, a strong-tackling safety who has done solid work with both the Commanders and the Rams. Other suitors: Rams, Jets, Bears.”

Pereles also tagged Minnesota as a potential destination for Coby Bryant (S, SEA), Bryan Cook (S, KC), Rashid Shaheed (WR, SEA), Aaron Rodgers (QB, PIT), and Cade Mays (C, CAR).

Curl stands out as a 7th-round win. Washington drafted him in 2020 — two days after the Vikings selected Justin Jefferson — and he logged four seasons in the nation’s capital on his rookie contract. He joined the Rams in the 2024 offseason and has started 33 games under Sean McVay since.

In total, Curl has appeared in 93 NFL games with 86 starts, compiling 586 tackles, 28 passes defended, 18 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits, eight sacks, and five interceptions. He moves around the formation and fills multiple roles in the secondary.

Fans would rejoice at the Curl signing; it’s just unclear whether Smith will actually retire. Shouldn’t he have announced that by now?

Rumor: The Kansas City Chiefs would be a trade fit for Jordan Addison.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine ran through trade targets for every team, and when he reached the Chiefs, he connected the dots to Minnesota. He wrote, “There’s still room for a smart GM like Brett Veach to add talent to the roster that won’t hurt their cap situation. For instance, Jordan Addison is now extension-eligible, but the Vikings will have a new general manager.”

“Minnesota could be looking to move on from Addison after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing. The charges were later dropped, but he’s had mutliple arrests since being draft. He could get a fresh start in Kansas City. He would only account for a $2.6 million cap hit this season.”

Kansas City stumbled to a 6-11 finish last year, a sharp dip for a franchise that had been operating in dynasty territory.

Despite his game-changing potential and flashes of WR1 ability, Addison’s past legal issues and failure to surpass 920 receiving yards in a season likely limit his trade value. While Vikings fans recognize his upside, his overall performance and off-field history make a first-round pick an unlikely return.

If Minnesota were to explore a trade, a more realistic expectation would be a 2nd-Roun pick plus additional assets to even out the deal. Anything less would probably discourage serious offers. Furthermore, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski has until May to decide on Addison’s fifth-year rookie option, which Minnesota is widely expected to exercise.

Generally speaking, though, Minnesota probably won’t trade Addison.

Rumor: Per ESPN, “all bets are off” regarding J.J. McCarthy’s future in Minnesota.

Kevin Seifert zoomed out on the Vikings’ offseason last week after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s firing and zeroed in on J.J. McCarthy’s suddenly murky outlook. He wrote, “The best way to put this, based on what sources have said, is that all bets are off. The general manager who drafted McCarthy No. 10 in 2024 has been fired, and the coach who was in full agreement with that decision is now under considerably more scrutiny.”

“In the big picture, McCarthy is a talented player who just turned 23 and has a total of 10 NFL starts. Few NFL teams would give up on a quarterback with that profile, and many team builders are particularly enamored with optimizing a quarterback’s rookie contract.”

McCarthy’s rookie deal remains affordable (or somewhat affordable) for up to three more seasons.

Seifert added, “Adofo-Mensah was one of them, but his departure is a reminder of the range of outcomes that approach can lead to. If anything, these events increase the chances that the Vikings will take a big swing at finding a veteran quarterback who could start in 2026,” he continued.

“The only thing more damaging than making the mistakes the Vikings made last season would be to repeat them this year.”

The bottom line: All bets are off. A new quarterback could indeed be on the way.