Vikings Linked to Needed Roster Move Before Training Camp

As the 2025 NFL season continues to draw closer with training camp right around the corner, the Minnesota Vikings are a team to keep a close eye on.

Last year, the Vikings finished the regular season with a 14-3 record. They were one of the best teams in the NFL, but were eliminated in the Wild Card round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams.

Heading into the upcoming campaign, the team looks quite a bit different.

While a lot of the roster remained intact, Sam Darnold is no longer in town. He will be replaced by J.J. McCarthy as Minnesota's new starting quarterback.

Another key player is not on the roster. Stephon Gilmore, the veteran cornerback, remains a free agent. He has not been brought back and he has not signed elsewhere.

With the Vikings still having a need for better cornerback talent, could a reunion with Gilmore still be on the table? That is something that has now been suggested.

USA Today analyst Nick Brinkerhoff has named Minnesota as one of the top potential suitors for Gilmore ahead of the regular season.

During the 2024 season with the Vikings, Gilmore was a key part of Brian Flores' defense. He played in 15 games, racking up 56 total tackles to go along with an interception and nine defended passes.

At 34 years old, the veteran cornerback is still more than capable of being an impact player. He may not be the elite superstar that he once was, but his fit in Minnesota was obvious last season and that has not changed to this point.

Outside of the Vikings, Brinkerhoff also mentioned the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Miami Dolphins as possible suitors. All three of those teams badly need help in the secondary as well.

It will be interesting to see where the top free agents remaining land. There are quite a few high-impact players still waiting for the right move.

Gilmore is among the best and the Vikings should strongly consider a reunion. He might very well be the missing piece that helps the Minnesota defense remain among the NFL's elite.

Largely an unknown commodity, J.J. McCarthy has “all the things” necessary to be successful in the NFL, and that is a direct assessment from former Minnesota Vikings fan favorite and two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Adam Thielen.

McCarthy worked with Thielen during the offseason for the second year in a row. He has now left the Carolina Panthers’ playmaker impressed both times.

It is as encouraging as any review for Vikings fans to receive about their new QB1.

“He’s got all the things it takes to be a successful player in this league,” Thielen told KTSP Sports on July 17. “How I’ve gotten to year 13, he’s already got it. He’s got consistency, he’s got that mindset, he’s got all the skills to be able to play at a high level.

“I’m really excited, now, my second summer working with him, to see him get an opportunity, and to see what he does with the opportunity, because I see it now on the field. Just his mindset and all the things that it takes to be a great quarterback in this league, and I’ve been around a lot of great ones. He has everything you need. So I’m excited to see what happens.”

Thielen expressed similar sentiments following his first session with McCarthy in 2024. More encouraging, he is just the latest in a line of supportive remarks from Vikings legends.

J.J. McCarthy Winning Over Vikings Legends

The Vikings’ faith in McCarthy is well documented, from head coach Kevin O’Connell’s verbally backing the young QB to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signing off on the trade to move into position to select him with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft.

However, Thielen is part of a noteworthy list of Vikings franchise icons who have voiced their support for McCarthy.

Moreover, Thielen’s sentiments have been consistent.

“He’s got all the tools, that’s for sure,” former Vikings Pro Bowl wide receiver Adam Thielen said on “#92Noon!” in July 2024. “He can sling it. He’s super accurate. We’re in shorts and some T-shirts out there. But, yeah, that you can see a lot just from accuracy timing and those kind of things when you’re running routes on air.”

“He’s a baller; he’s definitely a baller,” ex-NFL QB Daunte Culpepper, who spent seven seasons with the Vikings, told KTSP’s Alec Ausmus in June 2024. “He’s a solid, solid young man, and he’s going to be an even better quarterback, I think. He has a lot of upside and a lot of ability.”

McCarthy also had a pleasant encounter with Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, thanking him for his blessing to wear the No. 9.

Thielen spoke to McCarthy’s personality, and it helps explain the draw.

“He’s got a maturity about him that you can tell that goes beyond his age,” Thielen said during his appearance on “#92Noon!” after his first workout with McCarthy. “I’ve really enjoyed being around him for the little time that I’ve been able to be around him, and [I’m] excited to kind of follow his career.”

McCarthy and Thielen’s chemistry could foster the right environment for a Vikings trade.

Vikings Trade Proposal Brings Back Fan Favorite

Thielen is on a one-year, $8.5 million contract, and on a similar timeline with his career, with a Panthers team that should be improved but could still struggle to make the playoffs in 2024. A reunion with the Vikings could work for Thielen and make fans (and McCarthy) happy.

“I think I speak for most #Vikings fans, wishing they could see J.J. McCarthy throw passes to Adam Thielen on Sundays this fall,” Ausmus captioned the latest video of the duo.

This Heavy Sports Vikings trade pitch would send a 2026 late-round pick to Carolina for Thielen.

Vikings get:

• Adam Thielen

Panthers get:

• 2026 sixth-round pick

The Vikings’ future draft capital situation is a bit convoluted, but they will have at least three Day 3 picks. The Panthers have two recent first-round picks, Tetairoa McMillan (2025) and Xavier Legette (2024). They also have a veteran (Hunter Renfrow) to replace Thielen.

Thielen would join a crowded Vikings WR room, too. It features Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. It also has young speedster Jalen Nailor and rookie third-rounder Tai Felton.

Still, Thielen can help and would not have to impact the Vikings’ upcoming cap crunch.