Jeff Okudah is set to play for a fourth career team in 2025. The former third overall pick has agreed to a one-year deal with the Vikings, per his agent via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Okudah had other options on the table, per Schefter, but this move will allow him to return to the NFC North after starting his career with the Lions. The 26-year-old visited the Vikings Monday, so this news comes as little surprise. Okudah will now look to compete for a depth role on defense with Minnesota.
Expectations were high for the Ohio State product upon entering the NFL. Things did not go according to plan for much of his Lions tenure, however, with injuries limiting him to only 10 games across his first two seasons. Okudah managed to suit up for 15 contests in 2022, but during the subsequent offseason he was traded to the Falcons. Playing out the final year of his rookie contract, he made nine Atlanta starts.
During his first foray into free agency, Okudah took a one-year with the Texans worth $4.75M. The Grand Prairie, Texas, native suffered an injury in Week 1 and spent much of the campaign on injured reserve as a result. Okudah was thus limited to just six games for Houston, a team which has newly-extended Derek Stingley Jr. and 2024 second-rounder Kamari Lassiter atop the CB depth chart. It comes as no surprise Okudah is on the move once more, again taking a one-year pact in the process.
The secondary was a key talking point for the Vikings in the lead-in to free agency. Byron Murphy was on track to be on the of the top corners to reach the market, but he wound up re-signing on a three-year, $54M pact. That contract (which can max out at $66M via incentives) will keep Murphy in place as Minnesota’s top cover man, and the team has also added Isaiah Rodgers on a two-year deal. Tavierre Thomas — who has starting experience but also a long track record of special teams contributions — is in the fold as well.
Meanwhile, the likes of Stephon Gilmore, Shaquill Griffin and Fabian Moreau are all free agents at this point. The Vikings could retain one or more of those veterans, and doing so would add further to Okudah’s competition for a 2025 roster spot.
