Vikings Strike Deal with Surprise Standout LB
The NFL negotiating period (AKA: legal tampering period) begins in just a few short hours, meaning we could very well get some (unofficial) answers to many of the most pressing Minnesota Vikings offseason questions TODAY.
Starting at 11 a.m. CDT, teams around the league can legally start negotiating with pending free agents. However, because the NFL league year doesn’t officially begin until Wednesday at 3 p.m. CDT, meaning contracts cannot be signed, sealed and/or delivered until then.
Minnesota Vikings sign Eric Wilson before NFL negotiating window opens
But before the league could legally tamper with 31-year-old Eric Wilson, the MN Vikings took one of the top middle linebackers off the free agency board with a three-year extension worth up to $22.5 million, with $12.5 million guaranteed throughout the life of the deal.
The #Vikings and LB Eric Wilson have agreed to terms on a three-year, $22.5 million deal with $12.5 million fully guaranteed, source says. In his second stint in Minnesota, more than doubles his previous average per year in a new deal done by @RyanWilliamsA1 of @AthletesFirst. pic.twitter.com/DoxBkWjbXI
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 9, 2026
Last offseason, Eric Wilson came back to Minnesota on a much smaller 1 year, $2.6 million deal. He quickly found himself in a starting role, however, after Blake Cashman was dealt an early-season injury and fellow Cinci UDFA linebacker — Ivan Pace Jr — played poorly.
When the dust settled on 2025, not only had Wilson produced the best season of his NFL career, by far, under Brian Flores — 115 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles (16 starts) — but he also made himself a high-priority pending free agent this offseason.
Former Packer Eric Wilson forces the fumble pic.twitter.com/a6x9uho2GB
— Ellie French (@elliefrenchTV) December 25, 2025
Eric Wilson has always been been better as a Viking
Eric Wilson first played for the Minnesota Vikings from 2017-2020, after he signed with them as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati, where he racked up 235 tackles, 11 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries during his junior and senior seasons.
During his first four NFL seasons as a Viking, Wilson proved to be one of the better undrafted free agent signings of the Mike Zimmer + Rick Spielman era, totaling 234 tackles, 3 interceptions, 8 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries.
Related: Potential Vikings Trade Partner Revealed… Along with Familiar Hold Up
Still, the Minnesota Vikings chose to let Wilson walk in free agency, after the 2020 season, where he found out the hard way that the NFL grass isn’t always greener. Eric Wilson signed with Philadelphia Eagles in the 2021 free agency class, before they traded him to Houston at the trade deadline.
That offseason, he hit the open market again, where he landed back in the NFL North — with the hated Green Bay Packers. During his time outside the Vikings organization, Wilson was not the same player, totaling just 166 tackles and 1 forced fumble.
Thus, it made all the sense in the world for Eric Wilson to land back in purple during this free agency cycle. Thankfully for everyone involved, they got it done before he was able to consider other options.
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