Alex Gallardo-Imagn Pictures.
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle every week. All of the week’s rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for assessment. Immediately is the February twenty third version.
Vikings Rumors: Matthew Stafford in Purple, the Cris Carter QB Endorsement, Daniel Jones
Bear in mind — rumors are rumors. What you learn on weekends in these items is what the world is speaking about pertaining to the Vikings, not essentially gadgets that can come to fruition.
Right here’s the second batch of the week. Yesterday’s might be learn right here.
Rumor: Oddsmakers consider Matthew Stafford will find yourself with Minnesota in 2025.
Matt Kartozian-Imagn Pictures.
The Vikings prepared the ground, per sportsbooks, to in some way land Matthew Stafford this offseason, because the veteran passer might be accessible by way of commerce. The Draft Community’s Jaime Eisner posted Stafford’s next-team odds this week:
Vikings (+300)
Giants (+400)
Raiders (+500)
Colts (+600)
Jets (+800)
Steelers (+900)
Jaguars (10/1)
Cowboys (12/1)
Saints (12/1)
Browns (18/1)
Titans (20/1)
49ers (25/1)
Seahawks (33/1)
Lions (50/1)
How did we get right here? Why is Stafford within the commerce rumor mill? The brief reply is his spouse. Kelly Stafford acquired in entrance of a microphone two weeks in the past and appeared to endorse a Stafford commerce out of Los Angeles, irked by Los Angeles’ plans to commerce Cooper Kupp this offseason.
This one in all probability received’t come to fruition as a result of Minnesota has J.J. McCarthy on the roster, nevertheless it’s fairly fascinating that Vegas believes Minnesota is the highest Stafford touchdown spot.
Rumor: Cris Carter formally endorses a Sam Darnold sequel within the Twin Cities.
If the choice landed on Cris Carter’s doorstep, he’d retain Sam Darnold at quarterback subsequent season, who’s recent off a career-reclaiming season in 2024. “When you have quarterbacks that play well in your system like Sam Darnold did, I would not let him go in free agency. I would franchise him, and then let him and J.J. have a competition come the fall,” Carter informed Kay Adams on The Up and Adams Present this week.
Re-signing Darnold could be high-quality and dandy for Minnesota — per Carter’s suggestion — if his market worth hadn’t climbed a lot within the final yr. Darnold accrued 36 whole touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and 4,319 passing yards as a Viking in 2024, statistics that shot his subsequent contract’s worth to the moon.
Theoretically, if Minnesota listened to Carter and inked Darnold for $40 million per yr, the group would zap its free-agent funds and retreat to the Kirk Cousins period of team-building, hoping to search out mid-tier and bargain-bin contributors on the open market.
Rumor: Daniel Jones might be pursued by the Steelers and Cardinals in free company.
Per an Arizona Cardinals-themed podcast, the Cardinals may poke round Jones’ would-be free company. “The Arizona Cardinals, per sources, called about Daniel Jones multiple times within the last calendar year. Monti Ossenfort had a significant interest in signing Daniel Jones,” PHNX Sports activities’ Johnny Venerable mentioned final week.
“We’re preparing everybody: don’t be surprised if Daniel Jones is an Arizona Cardinal during free agency.”
And Andrew Fillipponi of Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan tweeted Tuesday, “Source: There’s interest in former Giants QB Daniel Jones inside the Steelers organization. Quote: ‘[The Steelers] could do a lot worse than Jones.’ With the belief he actually is a good fit for Arthur Smith’s offense. And Mike Tomlin’s preference for a mobile quarterback.”
So, sure, the Cardinals and Steelers might desire a piece of Jones at QB2.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the College of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his each day YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The present options company, evaluation, and opinion on all issues associated to the purple staff, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates again to 1996. Listed responsible pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doorways (the band). He follows the NBA as carefully because the NFL.
All statistics supplied by Professional Soccer Reference / Stathead; all contractual info supplied by OverTheCap.com.
