Former Vikings DT Finds Job in AFC West

Last season, the Minnesota Vikings ripped off 14 wins before finally flaming out in their last two games vs the Detroit Lions in week 17, then the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round of the NFC playoffs.

While Kevin O’Connell’s 2024 squad greatly outperformed preseason expectations overall, it was clear all season that their interior offensive and defensive fronts left plenty to be desired, a problem that has persisted for pretty much the past decade.

So, they went on a mission to fix both sides of their trenches this week, when the opening bell rang on NFL free agency, signing two top 15 free agents (The Athletic Top 150), former Commander Jonathan Allen and former Niner Javon Hargrave. The new guys will join veteran team leader Harrison Phillips, who is scheduled to return as part of the upgraded defensive line.

Jerry Tillery leaves Minnesota Vikings for the Chiefs

Other interior defensive linemen from last season’s team, like one of last offseason’s bargain bin free agency pickups Jerry Tillery, are moving on to new workspaces for 2025. On Friday, the former first round pick found his new employer in the AFC West, Super Bowl runner ups, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sources: The #Chiefs are signing former #Chargers 1st-round DT Jerry Tillery to a 1-year deal.

Good depth add to the Kansas City D-Line, as Tillery has recorded 12.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in 50 career starts. pic.twitter.com/9aysyt3zdK

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 14, 2025

Tillery is heading back to the AFC West after spending the first three-plus seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2019-2021, after they selected him 28th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He lasted three and a half seasons there before being dealt to the Las Vegas Raiders. In his career, Jerry Tillery has 96 NFL games under his belt, including 50 starts.

With the MN Vikings, Tillery recorded 28 tackles and three QB hits, while failing to record a single sack for the first time in his 6-year NFL career, which includes 12.5 total sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 40 QB hits in 50 starts (96 total games).

Related: Vikings Signing Very Familiar Free Agent Linebacker

Like the Vikings, Kansas City is bringing in Tillery hoping to extract some additional value from a player once seen with immense upside. Maybe his fourth stop will be where he can put it all together. In Kansas City it stands to reason that Tillery will start alongside defensive tackle Chris Jones.

Vikings’ d-line overhaul appears complete

Last season, the Vikings signed the former Notre Dame beefeater to a one-year deal worth $2.75 million. Tillery was OK, but you get what you pay for. One year later, with money to spend, General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Minnesota Vikings have already moved on to better things.

Jonathan Allen with the spinning back fist sack pic.twitter.com/tl1kqBvaGm

— mike (@bengals_sans) July 5, 2024

Harrison Phillips is in the final year of his two-year, $15 million contract he agreed to with Minnesota last season. Supplementing his presence with both Allen and Hargrave is huge. The Vikings have gotten just 6.5 sacks from Phillips over the past three seasons.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Hosting Young WR on Free Agency Visit

One year after he accumulated 92 tackles (2023), the MN Vikings saw Phillips’ production slip down to 56 in that same category last year. In 2025, the newly signed Allen and Hargrave bring a combined 97.5 career sacks to the defensive front.

There was never any inclination that Minnesota had interest in retaining Tillery. He goes elsewhere, and Brian Flores has to feel excited about the group he can consistently roll out in the year ahead.