One signing went under the radar, and the other was a big flop.
The Minnesota Vikings had a plan to spend this offseason in 2025. Why not? They have a very cheap starting quarterback and pieces to contend with. The most dangerous teams are the ones with a QB on a rookie contract and the ability to spend to win now.
Unfortunately, the plan didn't bear itself out, but the thought process was clear and can easily be understood.
Bradley Locker of PFF highlighted each team's best and worst signings from 2025.
Best: CB Isaiah Rodgers
The Vikings invested at least $30 million in three separate players, but their best work came on Rodgers’ two-year, $15 million contract. Rodgers finished the season with a 74.1 PFF coverage grade while playing a career-high 963 snaps. He also nearly single-handedly defeated the Bengals in Week 3 with a record-setting 99.9 PFF grade.
Worst: Dl Jonathan Allen
Allen is one of those aforementioned big signings, but he didn’t move the needle in his first year with Minnesota. The former Commander did accrue 34 pressures, but he notched just a 45.4 PFF run-defense grade while missing 14.5% of his tackle attempts. All told, Allen’s 53.2 overall PFF grade was the worst of his nine-year career.
The Jonathan Allen signing not working out is very disappointing. As a highly sought-after veteran at a few trade deadlines in the past, Allen was seen as one of the most underrated difference makers at the defensive line. While it's true Allen is a bit longer in the tooth, nobody could have seen the cliff coming that quickly, especially as a run defender.
Isaiah Rodgers signed a modest two-year deal, but he well exceeded the contractual value of 7.5 million per year. The ball found Rodgers all season, and performing as a top-end cornerback in the NFL for pennies on the dollar has to be one of the best bang-for-your-buck contracts in 2025.
The NFL announced the latest salary cap increase for this offseason, and the cap number for each team is over 300 million. The team will have some contracts off their books, but could be spenders again with the increase in cap and their available cap space.
The trick will be finding a permanent GM, outlining a plan between draft picks and signings, and determining what they will do at the quarterback position. Will the Vikings move Jordan Addison in favor of Jalen Nailor? Minnesota may have to replace Harrison Smith in the secondary as well. Free agency will be imperative.