Dustin Baker

The Ultimate Guide to Vikings Free Agency in 2026 Vikings free agency 2026 guide: cap crunch, in-house decisions, release/trade candidates, restructure options, and external targets by position.

My annual primer for the masses.

After Carson Wentz repeatedly told Vikings coaches he wanted to continue playing and then seeing his upbeat and almost happy presser following TNF, I'm fairly certain he knew the inevitable, wanting to go out on his terms, not unlike a wrestler putting the young guy over in his last match.

The Vikings haven't won a game at Ford Field in 5 years.

"We will call the J.J. McCarthy high ankle sprain a soft benching, and we will make his return a cozy one against the best team in the NFC, and that will be a road game at a place where the Vikings haven't won in 5 years."

Vikings Defense,
per EPA/Play,
NFL Ranking:

Before Bye Week: 1st
After Bye Week: 31st

Two weeks in, and the Vikings are battling these injuries or suspensions:

C.J. Ham
Ryan Kelly
Justin Skule
Ty Chandler
Jeff Okudah
Aaron Jones
J.J. McCarthy
Harrison Smith
Rondale Moore
Blake Cashman
Gabriel Murphy
Jordan Addison
Christian Darrisaw
Andrew Van Ginkel

How's your day going?

Have you guys and gals read my book yet? I think ya should if not.

It's a mystery-suspense type novel, and it's my debut. I will write two fiction books per year until I'm an old man.

So, go read this one, please:

www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH67JLQB

WRS for the Vikings to possibly explore after roster cuts on August 26th:

— DJ Chark
— K.J. Hamler
— K.J. Osborn
— Skyy Moore
— Javon Baker
— Russell Gage
— Michael Gallup
— John Metchie III
— Kendrick Bourne
— Mecole Hardman
— Trishton Jackson
— Laviska Shenault Jr.
— Donovan Peoples-Jones

soooo, I wrote my first novel — the first of many to come.

It’s called The Motor Route — a dark, one-night mind-bender set on a rural newspaper route in South Dakota.

If you’re into psychological suspense with a surreal bend, you should check it out.

amazon.com/dp/B0FH67JLQB

Bold Summer Predictions for the Vikings Heading into each summer, VikingsTerritory delivers bold predictions, and our writers have spoken for 2025.

Our latest and greatest summer takes over at @vikingsterritory.bsky.social.

YouTube video by VikesNow Paul Allen Joins for Vikings Draft Endorsements and Predictions

If you've never watched my YouTube show and you like the Vikings, today's a good one to start because @janikeckardt.bsky.social and I talked with Paul Allen, the Voice of the Vikings, for about 30 minutes.

The schools the Vikings have used for Rounds 1-3 draft picks since Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took over in 2022:

— Georgia
— Clemson
— LSU
— Oklahoma
— USC
— USC
— Michigan
— Alabama

It's always the big schools.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The last time the Vikings used Round 1 on a position:

— TE: Never
— OG: 37 Years Ago
— RB: 19 Years Ago
— DT: 12 Years Ago
— LB: 11 Years Ago
— C: 6 Years Ago
— CB: 5 Years Ago
— OT: 4 Years Ago
— S: 3 Years Ago
— WR: 2 Years Ago
— EDGE: 1 Year Ago
— QB: 1 Year Ago

4 Takeaways from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's Pre-Draft Press Conference Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah held a press conference on Wednesday, and these are the four takeaways from that event.

if ya missed Kwesi's press conference

Vikings QB2 Search Now Has 8 Options The Vikings QB2 search now has eight paths, and these are those.

i think i got em all

that be me

You Shouldn't Care about the Vikings QB2. Fuhgeddaboudit. The Vikings QB2 is a popular topic among fans ... but it just doesn't really matter.

about as cynical as i get. haha

"What Are They Planning?" 7 Theories for Vikings Cap Space. Fans are asking, "What are they planning?" with their $33 million in available Vikings cap space. Here are 7 theories.

my two cents.

The Vikings — Finally — Did the Thing It took years — repeat that: years — but the Vikings finally did it.

a new day

Vikings FA Day No. 1 Recap:

— Ryan Kelly to MIN
— Sam Darnold to SEA
— Nick Mullens to JAX
— Johnny Mundt to JAX
— Isaiah Rodgers to MIN
— Camryn Bynum to IND
— Patrick Jones II to CAR
— Buddy Bolden to MIN (lol)
— Byron Murphy Jr. Extended
— Jonathan Allen Meeting w/MIN

New Vikings CB Isaiah Rodgers, per PFF:

2024: 73.2
2023: Gambling
2022: 82.1
2021: 70.7
2020: 85.6

.. and per Passer Rating Against:

2024: 82.1
2023: Gambling
2022: 113.0
2021: 78.1
2020: 142.9

and Snaps per Season:

2024: 328
2023: Gambling
2022: 430
2021: 525
2020: 51

Would much rather do this for $7.5M per year and see if Rodgers has some upside than the $20M per year deal that the Patriots did with Carlton Davis.

CB Carlton Davis to the Patriots.

ohhhh. Really?

holy shit on $45 million over 3 years for Javon Kinlaw

the guy isn't good

Drew Dalman to Bears; that Vikings dream is dead.

Here are my predictions for players who end up with the Vikings next week:

🏈 Cooper Kupp (WR)
🏈 Jerome Baker (ILB)
🏈 Patrick Mekari (OG)
🏈 Paulson Adebo (CB)
🏈 Talanoa Hufanga (S)
🏈 Will Hernandez (OG)
🏈 Javon Hargrave (DT)
🏈 Jonathan Jones (CB)
🏈 Javonte Williams (RB)*

*if Aaron Jones leaves

A memorable thing about Gene Hackman:

He always played kind of an asshole — like always — but he was usually pretty damn likeable in the role, too.

Out for steaks tonight.
Just the two of us.
Guys being dudes.

The One Sam Darnold Trade That Makes Sense One Sam Darnold trade actually makes sense — with the Vikings' deadline to deal him five days away.

i think this is my version of a compromise per realism