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NFL Honors
Thursday, 8 p.m. (FOX, NFL Network)
There are Vikings finalists for three awards presented at the NFL Honors show: head coach Kevin O’Connell for Coach of the Year, defensive coordinator Brian Flores for Assistant Coach of the Year and Darnold for Comeback Player of the Year.
Darnold’s recognition comes against some odds, as the Associated Press' guidance for the award states it is intended for “a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season.”
Voters were left to interpret “other circumstances” as they felt fit. The other finalists — Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and Bills safety Damar Hamlin — returned to significant playing time this season after injuries or other medical issues in the past two years.
Franchise and transition tag period
Feb. 18-March 4
Teams have a 15-day window to tag their free agent players with either franchise or transition tags before the signing period.
The Vikings could tag Darnold if they want to keep him around for another season without committing long-term. Darnold would be paid an estimated $39.5 million next year if tagged. He could also be tagged by the Vikings and then traded.
Whether the Vikings tag Darnold or not could be a substantial clue to how they view their 2025 quarterback outlook. O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah didn’t commit to a path forward at QB following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Scouting combine
Feb. 24-March 3
Vikings coaches and front office personnel will turn their focus to the incoming rookie class at the scouting combine, which is once again being held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Televised coverage of on-field workouts begins at 3 p.m. Feb. 27, on NFL Network and lasts through March 3.
The full list of combine invitees has not been publicly announced.
Free agency
Negotiation period, March 10-12
Signing period, March 12
It should be another busy mid-March for the Vikings, who have 28 free agents. Among them are prominent role players on both sides of the ball, including Darnold; running backs Aaron Jones and Cam Akers; safety Camryn Bynum; cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore, Fabian Moreau and Murphy; edge rusher Pat Jones II and more.
Last year’s free agency period brought a host of talent to Minnesota, particularly on the defensive side, and set a high bar for Adofo-Mensah, who is projected to have around $60 million in cap space. Which positional needs the Vikings address in free agency will help inform how they might spend their draft picks, too.
NFL draft
April 24-26
The 2025 NFL draft is taking place only a short road trip away from the Twin Cities in Green Bay, Wis.
The Vikings, who are No. 24 in the draft order, currently have just three picks: one in Round 1 and two in Round 5. They could receive a compensatory pick in the third round for quarterback Kirk Cousins leaving in free agency last year.
Last year, the Vikings traded their second-, third- and fourth-round picks in this year’s draft for the No. 17 overall pick they used to select outside linebacker Dallas Turner.
Minnesota’s sixth- and seventh-round picks were part of the deal sending edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to the Browns in 2023. The Vikings received their fifth-round picks in both last year’s and this year’s draft in the deal.
Startribune
Thursday, 8 p.m. (FOX, NFL Network)
There are Vikings finalists for three awards presented at the NFL Honors show: head coach Kevin O’Connell for Coach of the Year, defensive coordinator Brian Flores for Assistant Coach of the Year and Darnold for Comeback Player of the Year.
Darnold’s recognition comes against some odds, as the Associated Press' guidance for the award states it is intended for “a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season.”
Voters were left to interpret “other circumstances” as they felt fit. The other finalists — Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and Bills safety Damar Hamlin — returned to significant playing time this season after injuries or other medical issues in the past two years.
Franchise and transition tag period
Feb. 18-March 4
Teams have a 15-day window to tag their free agent players with either franchise or transition tags before the signing period.
The Vikings could tag Darnold if they want to keep him around for another season without committing long-term. Darnold would be paid an estimated $39.5 million next year if tagged. He could also be tagged by the Vikings and then traded.
Whether the Vikings tag Darnold or not could be a substantial clue to how they view their 2025 quarterback outlook. O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah didn’t commit to a path forward at QB following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Scouting combine
Feb. 24-March 3
Vikings coaches and front office personnel will turn their focus to the incoming rookie class at the scouting combine, which is once again being held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Televised coverage of on-field workouts begins at 3 p.m. Feb. 27, on NFL Network and lasts through March 3.
The full list of combine invitees has not been publicly announced.
Free agency
Negotiation period, March 10-12
Signing period, March 12
It should be another busy mid-March for the Vikings, who have 28 free agents. Among them are prominent role players on both sides of the ball, including Darnold; running backs Aaron Jones and Cam Akers; safety Camryn Bynum; cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore, Fabian Moreau and Murphy; edge rusher Pat Jones II and more.
Last year’s free agency period brought a host of talent to Minnesota, particularly on the defensive side, and set a high bar for Adofo-Mensah, who is projected to have around $60 million in cap space. Which positional needs the Vikings address in free agency will help inform how they might spend their draft picks, too.
NFL draft
April 24-26
The 2025 NFL draft is taking place only a short road trip away from the Twin Cities in Green Bay, Wis.
The Vikings, who are No. 24 in the draft order, currently have just three picks: one in Round 1 and two in Round 5. They could receive a compensatory pick in the third round for quarterback Kirk Cousins leaving in free agency last year.
Last year, the Vikings traded their second-, third- and fourth-round picks in this year’s draft for the No. 17 overall pick they used to select outside linebacker Dallas Turner.
Minnesota’s sixth- and seventh-round picks were part of the deal sending edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to the Browns in 2023. The Vikings received their fifth-round picks in both last year’s and this year’s draft in the deal.
Startribune
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