Free agency was relatively quiet for the Minnesota Vikings this year. They only brought in a small handful of players from outside of the organization to this point: quarterback Kyler Murray, cornerback James Pierre, punter Johnny Hekker, and swing tackle Ryan Van Demark. Outside of that, most of the Vikings’ moves have been in house.
They performed multiple restructures and cut a few key starters from the 2025 season, but it’s an extension that has drawn the biggest criticism.
Eric Wilson’s contract receives criticism
When the Vikings signed inside linebacker Eric Wilson to a three-year, $22.5 million extension, it felt like a big contract for a player breaking out in his ninth season, and that has been echoed in multiple areas. Pro Football Focus’ Zoltan Buday named the extension his least favorite move for the Vikings in free agency.
“The Vikings re-signed Wilson to a three-year contract worth $22.5 million. Although that makes him just the 30th-highest-paid linebacker in the league, it might still be an overpay, considering Wilson’s limited skill set. In 2025, he earned a 36.7 PFF coverage grade, which ranked just 71st out of 80 qualifying linebackers.”
Identifying the coverage element is a fascinating way to talk about Wilson being overpaid. The Vikings didn’t extend him due to his ability in coverage. He was given another contract due to his ability as a blitzer and run defender.