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NFL insider Jeremy Fowler believes that the Vikings are going to be methodical in free agency this offseason
The Minnesota Vikings have some work to do this offseason. After laboring through the 2025 campaign, the Vikings’ main goal over the next few months will involve finding an answer at the quarterback position. After firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, though, Minnesota is being led into a pivotal offseason by a new regime in the front office.
For all intents and purposes, the Vikings appear to have a Super Bowl-caliber roster in place, but as last season showed, that doesn’t matter if the team doesn’t have a quarterback it can trust to run the offense. How Minnesota attacks the offseason, particularly free agency, is one of the biggest storylines across the league, and NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN believes he has a decent idea as to what the team will do over the next few months.
Jeremy Fowler Predicts ‘Methodical’ Free Agency Attack for Vikings
After winning 14 games in 2024, the Vikings put together a confusing body of work last offseason. They let both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones walk in free agency, with both departures coming back to bite the team. Darnold just led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship, while Jones looked like an MVP candidate with the Indianapolis Colts before he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
That left J.J. McCarthy as the team’s starting quarterback, but he didn’t look particularly great during his first NFL action. After missing his entire rookie season with a meniscus injury, the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft endured an array of struggles during a 10-game stint in 2025, as he completed just 57.6% of his passes while also throwing more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11).
The Vikings aren’t going to give up on McCarthy just yet, but the team appears set to add some serious competition for him this offseason. And yet, Fowler isn’t expecting Minnesota’s front office to come out guns blazing in free agency. Instead, he thinks the team will take a more calculated approach when it comes to finding players it wants to sign.
“I think they’ll methodically spend in free agency,” Fowler said in a clip uploaded to the Vikings’ official YouTube channel. “You have to fill some needs, but I don’t think they’re gonna go crazy given their cap situation.”
Who Should the Vikings Target in Free Agency?
GettyKirk Cousins #18 of the Atlanta Falcons looks on after the game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Obviously, the front office’s main goal is going to be to find some competition for McCarthy at quarterback. The good news is that there are a plethora of options available, but one name that sticks out is Kirk Cousins, who is set to be released by the Atlanta Falcons ahead of free agency. Cousins has familiarity with Minnesota’s offense, and proved last season he can still sling the football when he’s called into action.
Finding a way to make the rushing attack on offense more consistent could be a goal for the front office, too, as it would take some pressure off of whoever is under center for the team moving forward. Whichever way you slice it, the Vikings have some work to do this offseason, but how they go about filling in their roster will be worth keeping tabs on once free agency officially opens.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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