Ultimately, they pulled back on the planned sale after a couple investor groups offered a cash infusion , in exchange for a minority stake in the team, that allowed the Pohlads to pay off the mountain of debt they’ve compiled in recent years.

But who are these new minority partners? The public has not been made privy to that information yet. But we do know that there is a local angle to one of the groups. The other is from the east coast. One familiar billionaire family who would fit both categories — the Wilfs, who own the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings owners eyeing up the Minnesota Twins?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like the Mark and/or Zygi Wilf are in on either of the Twins’ new ownership groups. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be buying into the local nine down the road. According to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press , he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the Wilfs “consider becoming limited partners.”

Does that mean, by the time this is over, there will be a third investor group announced… or, could the Wilfs’ interest be focused toward 2027, when Walters believes the Twins could go back up for sale? Is it possible they are part of the two that haven’t been announced, even? The longtime local insider doesn’t say…

Also, some smart people wouldn’t be surprised if Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, who have built a real estate empire in Eagan and operate out of New Jersey, consider becoming limited partners in the Twins.

Pioneer Press

If we were playing the opposite game, the Wilf family would be the perfect opposite for the Pohlads. While the Wilf’s spending is capped in the NFL. It would not be in the MLB… at least not yet. What does that mean? As minority investors, probably nothing.

The biggest problem for Joe Pohlad and his family, during their selling window, was the imminent 2026-27 lockout that is looming over the league. Major League Baseball’s financial model is struggling, in part due to its lack of a salary cap or revenue sharing structure with players. Next winter, it’s expected to force a lockout.

If owners get what they want, we could see the first soft salary cap or worthy luxury tax system in MLB history. For decades, owners have failed to make the MLBPA flinch on introducing any sort of salary cap to Major League Baseball. Thus, critics remain skeptical that they’ll succeed this time around.

More local billionaires who may be involved in Twins sale

The Wilf’s aren’t the only local rich family eyeing up the Minnesota Twins. Another is Marty Davis, president of Cambria, a Minnesota company. He’s a huge Twins fan. While he’s assured Charley that he’s not buying the team… Walters suggests there’s no way he’d miss out on the opportunity to purchase a smaller chunk.

Cambria president Marty Davis, who is a substantial name, image and likeness (NIL) Gophers athletics financial booster, is telling people he’s not interested in buying the Twins. But Davis, a Twins Champions Club member whose family’s worth has been estimated at nearly $2 billion by Forbes, loves baseball, and it would be surprising if he doesn’t get involved in an ownership transaction.

Pioneer Press

Related: Report: Minnesota Twins Owners Still Plan to Sell

Marty Davis, along with Mark and Zygi Wilf, have all proven themselves as in the business world. The Wilf’s have poured money into the Vikings and paired that financial investment with fine-tuned operation, to churn out success both on the field and on the balance sheets

While Davis isn’t the same prominent figurehead, his desire as a fan combined with his financial wherewithal, could prove to be fruitful as well. At any rate, it doesn’t matter who, because anyone would be better than the Pohlads.

Of course, that all ended a few years ago, when Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor finally decided to put the NBA organization he has owned since 1994 up for sale. Of course, we now know that process ended in a fight over majority ownership with Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez that the 84-year-old ultimately lost.

Then, after they fell out of the 2024 MLB playoff race, the Pohlad family put the Minnesota Twins up for sale too. Of course, they are yet to announce a new owner, but the latest reports say a sale is imminent. Given how the trade deadline went last week, MN Twins fans need it to happen ASAP.

NFL agent: Minnesota Vikings owners are best in NFL

Thankfully, there is at least one ownership group in town that we don’t have to worry about how they spend their money or how much they care about the franchise. In the 20 years since Zygi and Mark Wilf took over the Minnesota Vikings in May of 2005, the organization has flourished into one of the most efficiently run in all of football.

On Tuesday, Darren “Doogie” Wolfson read a text message sent to him from an NFL agent on SKOR North’s “Purple Daily” podcast that confirmed just how good the Vikings have it, when it comes to who signs the paychecks. And according to anonymous agent guy, the Wilfs are as good as it gets in the National Football League.

“I was even just texting with an agent who’s making the rounds, right? Visiting all sorts of clients across many different training camps. He was telling me a in fact, I’ll read this. I think the audience will like this. Let me read this verbatim. Literally was just texting with him 30 minutes ago. “Wilf is the best owner in the league, in my opinion. Happy employees. They take care of their people.” So that was one observation from this agent.”

Thankful for the Wilfs

The Wilfs bought the Minnesota Vikings for $600 million. In the most recent Forbes valuation, the National Football League franchise is worth $5.05 billion, which ranks 21st in the NFL.

But even though their valuation ranks in the bottom half of the league, the Wilfs go above and beyond to make sure their players, coaches and executives have everything they need to do their jobs, and then much, much more.

Related: New MN Vikings Out with Long-Term Injuries

The most recent NFLPA player survey, which gave the MN Vikings ownership group an A+ rating (one of three teams with a perfect grade) confirms this anonymous agent’s opinion. And now that beloved head coach Kevin O’Connell is under contract for the long haul, don’t expect the Wilfs to change their approach anytime soon.

Pretty much anybody who matters in the NFL world, no matter their role, is in attendance at the scouting combine this week, for one reason or another. But the biggest news of Wednesday morning, so far, did not come from a player meeting, podium interview or leaked insider report.

Instead, the NFL is talking about the annual NFLPA player survey and team report cards, the results of which were released this morning. This year, over 1,600 players filled out and returned their survey — which included questions that touch on 11 different categories of how NFL organizations treat players.

Minnesota Vikings finish 2nd overall in NFLPA Player Survey

The categories of judgement include everything from “Treatment of Families”, quality of coaches/staff, nutrition + food options and team facilities. In 2024, the Minnesota Vikings ranked 2nd out of 32 NFL teams and in 2025, they held that same ranking. The only team that ranks higher overall is the Miami Dolphins.

The Minnesota Vikings rank top 5 in every category included in the 2025 NFLPA Player Survey, other than three — “Food/Dining Area”, “Nutritionist/Dietitian” and “Weight Room”, which all ranked in the top half of the league. If the Wilf Family wants to move into 1st place in 2026, they will have to address the weight room facilities and everything involving their food program and facilities at TCO Performance Center.

Treatment of Families: Minnesota Vikings (A+) – NFL Rank: No. 1

But there’s no doubt Vikings players have it better than just about any group of players in the NFL, year over year. As MN Vikings fans, we see some of what the organization does to make both current and former player feel comfortable in team facilities, and that includes their family members.

But clearly, the Wilfs do it better than anyone else because this is the second-straight season they have ranked No. 1 in the NFL in the “Treatment of Families” category. Players pointed to the daycare and family room provided by the Vikings during home games, as a major positive to playing here. But the rave reviews don’t end there.

The Vikings provide daycare during home games and a family room during home games.

• Players rate the post-game family area 9.02 out of 10, ranking them 3 out of 32 teams.
• The players feel that their team frequently organizes family events, which ranks 10 out of 32 teams.

2025 NFLPA Player Survey

Locker Room: Minnesota Vikings (A-) – NFL Rank: No. 1

Minnesota Vikings players love the locker room at U.S. Bank Stadium. According to the NFLPA player survey, almost every player who gave an opinion thought the lockers were spacious enough for very large football players.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Hire Controversial OL Coach

Every single returned survey said the locker room, as a whole, is adequate size and allows enough room for player to move around freely. Minnesota was only one of five teams that got a perfect score in locker room size.

• 98% of players feel they have enough room in their individual lockers, a ranking of 2 out of 32.
• 100% of players feel the locker room size is adequate, making the Vikings one of five teams in the NFL with a perfect score.

2025 NFLPA Player Survey

Training Staff: Minnesota Vikings (A) – NFL Rank: No. 2

Outside of the “Nutritionist/Dietician” category, one thing that is clear with this survey is that the Minnesota Vikings have all the right people in place, throughout their organization. That stretches to the training staff too, where the Vikings rank No. 2 overall.

Survey results showed that players never have to worry about getting one-on-one treatment from trainers and that they believe the training staff, as a whole, contributes to the team’s overall success.

• 94% of Vikings players report that they receive enough one-on-one training treatment, ranking them 4 out of 32 teams.
• The players feel that their training staff significantly contributes to their overall success, ranking them 2 of 32.

The Vikings revamped their training staff this offseason and saw their grade improve from a B to an A.

2025 NFLPA Player Survey

Kevin O’Connell, Wilf Family receive high praise too

While the Minnesota Vikings did not finish in the top two in either the NFLPA player survey head coach or ownership rankings, both finished third in their respective categories.

The Wilfs got their No. 3 overall ranking with a 9.83 out of 10 ranking for the owners’ “perceived willingness to invest in facilities” and 3rd highest ranking in “commitment to building a competitive team”.

Related: Top Heisman Candidate Meeting with Vikings at NFL Combine

Kevin O’Connell got his No. 3 overall ranking with 94% of players responding that the head coach is efficient with their time, which ranked 16th among head coaches. He ranked 3rd in “being highly receptive to locker room feedback”.

The Vikings have only won their division three times since 2009 (’22, ’17, ’15). But Sunday Night Football in week 18 this year goes way beyond the NFC North. Tonight’s game will also decide who gets the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which comes with a bye next weekend, in the first round of the playoffs, along with home field advantage all the way up to the Super Bowl.

The 2024 Cinderella Minnesota Vikings

For two indoor teams with loud crowds like the Vikings and Lions, that could be the difference in making a real run, and fizzling out in the first couple rounds. The best part about tonight’s game is that the national media is being forced to pay attention to the NFL’s flyover country.

No Niners, Cowboys, Chiefs or Patriots. No New York or LA teams, either. Instead, it’s all eyes on Minnesota vs Detroit. And sure, national media still wants to slip the Cinderella slipper on the Lions, thanks to their decades of ineptitude.

But really, it’s the Minnesota Vikings who nobody expected to be in this position. In the preseason, this is a team that was projected to win just 6.5 games. Instead, they’ve already won 14 and looking to tie the franchise record of 15.

So, how did the Vikings — a team that was projected by oddsmakers to win only six or seven games — end up 14-2, with a chance to do something no Vikings team has done since 1998, which is win the National Football Conference?

Yes, quarterback Sam Darnold is the easy answer. His resurgence, from 1st round bust to MVP candidate — 68.1% Cmp | 4,153 Yds, 35 TD | 12 INT — is the main on-field reason why the 2024 Minnesota Vikings are where they are.

Kevin O’Connell is HIM… and still without a contract extension.

But behind the 27-year-old reformed QB is an even more obvious choice for 2024 purple and gold MVP. For anyone who pays attention, it’s obvious. Head coach Kevin O’Connell, who is now a 10 to 1 favorite to win NFL Coach of the Year, is the key behind Minnesota’s surprising success in 2024.

Kevin O’Connell deserves Coach Of The Year. pic.twitter.com/6ayBLm30Nu

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 4, 2025

In the nearly three complete seasons since KO was hired, not only has the 39-year-old head coach proven himself as one of the most player approved coaches in the NFL, but the Vikings are 34-16 under his tutelage and going for their second division title in three seasons.

So… one big question has begun floating around NFL circles, now that all attention is focusing in on the Minnesota Vikings. Why doesn’t Kevin O’Connell have a contract extension yet? Still riding his initial agreement with the Vikings, O’Connell has just one season remaining before he would become a free agent coach.

Related: Vikings Eat Into Lions Home Field Advantage by Purchasing $2 Million Worth of Tickets at Ford Field…

There is no great answer as to why Kevin doesn’t have an extension in hand, already. The Wilfs could have re-upped KOC in the offseason, but never broached the topic with his representation. In fact, they haven’t even talked to the head coach about an extension at all during this miraculous 14-2 season, according to NFL insider Jay Glazer (FOX Sports).

Other NFL teams want to trade for Kevin O’Connell…?

And when Glazer started poking around his sources for names being discussed by head coach hungry teams, behind the scenes, he continued to get a surprising name back. You guessed it, they’re all salivating over the idea of bringing in Minnesota Vikings head coach, Kevin O’Connell.

Sunday scoopage: surprise candidate on multiple team’s coaching candidates
lists: Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. He has one year remaining on his deal after the season and a few teams have an interest in possibly trying to TRADE for him. @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/TipEYM6FF6

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) January 5, 2025

“There is one [head coaching] candidate out there that’s going to surprise you all, that no one knows is on the list, and he is. That candidate… is Kevin O’Connell. There are multiple teams that actually are considering trying to trade for Kevin O’Connell. And the reason why? Next year is the last year of his deal, he’s had no contract talks at all.

Look, if you’re a team out there, why not take a shot, see if you can do it. Maybe the Vikings don’t let it happen. But also, Kevin O’Connell also has the cards, [if he’s] saying ‘hey listen, I’m not going to re-sign there so you might as well get something for me’. Now I don’t know [if that’s the case]. Kevin knows about this right now, but there are multiple teams out there who have him on that board.”

Jay Glazer – FOX NFL Sunday

There you have it. The Minnesota Vikings are trading Kevin O’Connell…. Wait! Don’t leave yet. That was just a joke. Take a deep breath, because the Vikings are not trading their head coach.

Related: Who Ya Got… Brian Flores or Ben Johnson?

Why the Vikings aren’t trading Kevin O’Connell?

Not only has KOC turned Sam Darnold’s career around, but just three seasons into his head coaching career, and O’Connell has already proven himself as one of the best leaders of men in all of football. Nobody knows that better than the Wilf family, who works closely with their head coach each week.

What we know for sure is that the Wilfs love Kevin O’Connell. In fact, they love him so much that they went public over the weekend, in an interview with Ben Goessling (Star Tribune), with their plans to extend both KOC and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah this offseason.

Once the season is done, [Vikings] ownership plans to begin talks with the general manager and head coach about contract extensions. In a recent interview… co-owner Mark Wilf was asked how high the owners’ interest level is in reaching new deals with Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell this offseason.

“We’re looking forward to a great future with these guys. We look forward to having those conversations with each of them after the season. We have tremendous confidence, and we look forward to their continued leadership of the franchise.”

Ben Goessling – Star Tribune (Quote: Mark Wilf)

When O’Connell was hired by the Minnesota Vikings and their new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, it was a letdown hire. That was no offense to Kevin, but you have to remember the circumstances. KOC was hired shortly after a week or two of full-blown Jim Harbaugh madness.

KOC was not our first choice, but he was the best choice

Remember, the Harbaugh to Minnesota rumors started hot and heavy, climaxing with a day-long visit to TCO Performance Center. But to everyone’s shock and dismay, the younger Harbaugh brother left Minneapolis in early February, 2022 without a contract and the Vikings officially hired Kevin O’Connell about two weeks later.

Since his hire, not only have the Minnesota Vikings won on the field, but the reviews of the organization, from those who have been in it, are 2nd to none. Why do the Vikings rank No. 1 or No. 2 in each of the last two NFLPA Player surveys (2023 & 2024) for best organization to play for? Veteran right tackle, Brian O’Neill — who was here during multiple Zimmer years — will tell you exactly why. It’s Kevin O’Connell.

“You know the NFLPA report card?” right tackle Brian O’Neill said in August, referring to the player survey that identified the Vikings as one of the most highly regarded teams in the league in terms of working conditions and environment. “(O’Connell) is the report card. He sets the tone for the entire building.”

The Athletic (October 17, 2024)

The guys talking about #Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell is so wholesome 🥹pic.twitter.com/1cI9sURDYn

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) January 4, 2025

Of course, as Jay Glazer pointed out in his appearance Sunday, Kevin O’Connell holds all the cards. If he doesn’t want to coach the Minnesota Vikings, the Wilfs would absolutely trade him, if other teams had interest, which they clearly do.

Related: Detroit Lions Getting Reinforcements Back vs Minnesota Vikings

But there is ZERO evidence that is the case. By all accounts, KO loves coaching the Minnesota Vikings, thanks to the great relationship he has with his general manager, and others in the front office; not to mention the freedom/support always being offered by the Wilf ownership group. So don’t worry, Vikings fans. Your head coach isn’t going anywhere.

Not playing at home is definitely a big disadvantage, especially in a game with this level of importance. But the Minnesota Vikings’ owners are doing everything they can to make sure Vikings fans show up in Detroit to support.

Minnesota Vikings owners buy nearly 2000 tickets in Detroit

The Wilf family, who are owners of the Minnesota Vikings, just did something pretty unexpected and honestly, really awesome. They personally stepped in and dropped $2 million to buy 1,900 tickets, which they’re reselling to Vikings fans at a much lower price.

“In the days leading up to Sunday night’s showdown against the Detroit Lions, the Vikings took the unusual measure of buying around 1,900 tickets for the road game on the secondary market, at about $1,000 apiece, for a total approaching $2 million. The team then turned around and sent an email to season ticket holders, offering the opportunity to buy the tickets at a much lower price point, and in some cases for as little as $200 per ticket.“

Albert Breer – SportsIllustrated

According to Breer, the Vikings are offering the tickets to season ticket holders for as low as, in some cases, $200 each. He also noted that the Detroit Lions raised concerns and contacted the NFL about it, but the league determined that the Vikings weren’t breaking any rules.

“The rival Lions flagged it, with the team’s ticket office noticing the unusual activity, then finding out about the email. The email said, “As a valued season ticket member, we want to offer you the opportunity to purchase lower-level seats for Sunday night’s game.” The tickets were available on a first-come-first-serve basis, and the team added in the email that they were “intended to be used by Vikings fans and not positioned for resale.

The Lions contacted the league office about it and were told, per sources, that the Vikings didn’t break any rules in the process of pulling this off.”

Albert Breer – SportsIllustrated

This is what top-notch ownership looks like: owners who care about their fans and do everything possible to give the team an advantage. Breer also pointed out that these tickets are positioned right behind the Vikings’ sideline, which should hopefully make sideline communication a bit smoother.

Related: Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions: Who’s Better… Brian Flores or Ben Johnson?

This might just be the biggest regular-season game in Minnesota Vikings history; the Wilfs are doing everything they can to secure the team another home playoff game. Only time will tell if their efforts pay off.

If the Vikings pull off a win, the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will go straight through U.S. Bank Stadium. As the top seed, securing home-field advantage, the Vikings would ensure more football at the Bank, something the Wilfs would undoubtedly enjoy.

But that didn’t make the split any easier. That much time together builds a sort of dependency that can make it difficult for either side to pull the relationship ripcord. The grass isn’t always greener, right?

Well, $100 million guaranteed ($180 million total) can buy a lot of sod, fertilizer and whatever else deemed necessary to spruce up a new backyard, no matter how brown and dead the grass might be.

But this isn’t the way Cousins wanted everything to go down. When Kirk said that he wanted to be in Minnesota forever, he meant it. Unfortunately for Kirk and his family, the Vikings ownership group did not feel the same way as he did. On Saturday morning, Dianna Russini (The Athletic) revealed that it was the Wilfs who made the ultimate decision on Cousins.

Minnesota Vikings owners cut the Kirk Cousins cord…

According to Russini, they wanted one of the young quarterbacks from a historic 2024 QB draft class, and they made as much clear to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell. Thus, it was a one-year bridge deal offer for Kirk Cousins, and that “didn’t sit well” with the veteran QB.

Cousins was recovering from an Achilles injury — a challenge for any quarterback, especially one in his mid-30s. The Vikings had a decision to make. O’Connell believed in Cousins and was confident he could bounce back and continue as the starter, but not everyone in the organization shared that optimism.

The team also had its eyes on the future, knowing the upcoming draft class was loaded with quarterback talent. Ownership was clear: They wanted to draft a young QB. That news didn’t sit well with Cousins, who had been hoping for a vote of confidence, not a smaller window with the Vikings.

Dianna Russini – The Athletic

As we now know, Cousins signed with the Falcons and took his talents to Atlanta. Days later, the Minnesota Vikings signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal, for a clearance price of $10 million. Since then, the tables have turned in Minnesota’s favor.

Related: Top 10 Most Defining Moments of Kirk Cousins Career with the Minnesota Vikings

Under the coaching of Kevin O’Connell, Josh McCown and the rest of the offensive staff, Darnold has rejuvenated his career from a former 1st round bust, to legitimate NFL starter. He’s led the 10-2 Vikings on a five-game winning streak, entering Sunday’s reunion matchup vs Kirk’s Falcons, who are 6-6 and losers of three-straight.

Atlanta Falcons “swooped in” and Wilf Family waved goodbye

But even after the Wilfs made it clear to Kirk Cousins that they were ready to move on, he still felt like he’d be the quarterback in Minnesota for at least one more season. So did O’Connell.

But when Atlanta “swooped in” with a multi-year offer that blew the Vikings’ out of the water, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah — with the Wilfs standing behind him — didn’t budge. Instead, they all waved goodbye together.

Still, as decision day in March drew closer, Cousins was optimistic it would work out and Minnesota would step up. He and O’Connell were staying in touch and both were hoping the team’s offer would be sufficient. At the same time, rumblings of interest from the Falcons grew louder. Rumors were swirling that, with a strong roster already in place, Atlanta was willing to give multiple years of guaranteed money to land a seasoned quarterback.

When the legal tampering period opened, the Falcons swooped in with a four-year, $180 million deal, $100 million guaranteed. It was the kind of contract that said, “You’re our guy.” As for the Vikings, they didn’t budge when it came to that kind of guaranteed money.

Dianna Russini – The Athletic

Months later, 27-year-old Sam Darnold is taking the Twin Cities by storm. He’s enjoying his best season ever (67.6% CMP, 2,952 YDS, 23 TD, 10 INT). Meanwhile, down in Atlanta, Kirk is having his worst season since 2014, before he became the full-time starter in Washington. That season, he played 6 games, throwing for 1,710 pass yards, 10 TD, 9 INT.

In 2024, the 36-year-old quarterback has thrown for an impressive 3,052 yards and his 67.4% completion is on par with his 67.0% career mark. But Kirk Cousins is also throwing games away (17 TD, 13 INT) at a pace we never saw while he was in Minnesota.

Related: Final Minnesota Vikings Injury Report for Week 14 is Full…

In fact, Kirko Chainz only needs one more interception to tie his career high (14) for a season, which he set in 2022 with the Vikings, when he threw 29 TDs and 14 INTs. All this as a large part of the Falcons’ fanbase is now calling for Kirk to be replaced by rookie QB Michael Penix, who Atlanta surprisingly drafted No. 7 overall, just two months after inking Cousins.

Remember, the NFC South is not very good, so the Falcons are still very much in the playoff conversation. Could falling to 6-7 vs his old team be the final straw for our old QB, in the ATL? Hopefully, we are about to find out.

At the time, the Wilf family wanted something completely different from what they had in Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer. They certainly found that. Now, the Vikings are known as one of the most player-friendly organizations in the NFL. One that is always on the cutting edge of everything “new school”.

But heading into their third season leading football operations, it’s still TBD how much they’ve lived up to other expectations. A lot is yet to be proven on player development, and most importantly, winning. Today, we found out that’s exactly how the Wilfs feel too.

No extension plans for Kevin O’Connell or Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

On Tuesday, Vikings president and partner, Mark Wilf, told reporters that the team is not currently in contract extension talks with either KOC or Kwesi. Nor will they be anytime soon. He noted that it’s a big year for both men, each of which has two seasons remaining on his respective contract.

Vikings owner Mark Wilf made it clear that they are not talking extensions for the brass yet. Reiterated that they have high expectations for this season

— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) August 6, 2024

Mark Wilf says the Vikings haven’t and won’t have conversations about contract extensions with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah or coach Kevin O’Connell before the end of this season. Both are entering year 3 of 4-year deals.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 6, 2024

Why are the Wilfs not interested in talking contract extensions with Kevin O’Connell or Kwesi Adofo-Mensah? Because they are focused on the 2024 season, which really only means one thing. Both guys still have more to prove.

Related: Vikings Insider Projects Undrafted Rookie as Surefire 53-Man Roster Candidate

If Mark and the boys were convinced that this current regime was “the one”, then they would be re-upping them now. There would be no reason to wait. And it would make sense, given they just drafted a rookie QB the highest in franchise history. Why not lock in the GM/HC duo that picked him No. 10 overall?

KOC, Kwesi must prove Minnesota Vikings are on correct path

What I read above was (essentially): ‘These guys decided to bail on Kirk Cousins. Now, they need to prove that was the correct decision’. A lot of that will have to do with the performance of newly signed Sam Darnold and the development of rookie JJ McCarthy.

Related: Sam Darnold Listed as Minnesota Vikings Starter

Re-upping on KOC and Kwesi now would also be cheaper than waiting, if the Wilfs were convinced that success was right around the corner. That’s not the case, though.

Instead, they are essentially challenging O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah to prove that the Minnesota Vikings organization is on a better track now, than it was when they got here. And one thing is for sure… suddenly neither guys’ job feels quite as safe as it did this morning.

Unlike other owners in this market, not once has “cheap” been attached to the Wilfs. Rather, Minnesota sports fans usually use them as a benchmark for what proper ownership should look like. But have they been quietly pushing to save money in recent years… in player salary, of all places?

Wilf family skimping on Minnesota Vikings payroll?

That’s what local insider Charley Walters (Pioneer Press) is suggesting. According to the longtime St. Paul columnist, there are “smart people” telling him that the Wilfs have been skimping on Vikings player payroll ever since they bought the Orlando City SC, an MLS team, back in 2021.

For the third straight year, Vikings’ team payroll has been low. Some smart people wonder whether the reason is that owners Zygi and Mark Wilf three years ago paid nearly $500 million for the Orlando City team in Major League Soccer. Spending that amount on soccer may have decreased cash flow for the football team.

Two years ago, the Vikings were near the bottom of the 32-team NFL in real payroll; last year they were still in the bottom half, and currently are ranked near the bottom. The highest-paid players on the team were Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter and they’re gone, so there’s no excuse not to sign Jefferson.

After further review, Charley is 100% correct. The Minnesota Vikings have been in the bottom half of the NFL in real cash payroll the past few seasons.

The numbers say…

According to Spotrac, they paid the 3rd-most cash to players of any NFL team back in 2018, the sixth-most in 2019 and eleventh-most in 2020. But then in 2021, they tanked all the way down to 26th, jumped back up a little bit in 2022 (still bottom half), then back down to 23rd last season.

In 2024, they’re currently projected to pay the 28th most cash to players, unless something changes (like a Justin Jefferson extension with a massive signing bonus). Remember, the Wilfs purchased the Orlando SC in 2021.

Of course, this is not Major League Baseball. The NFL has a salary cap that only allows teams to spend so much money year in and year out. But the NFL’s salary cap is not a simple one. You can move money around, convert salary dollars into signing bonuses, add void years to the end of contracts… etc etc etc.

The maneuvering goes on and on. Some teams are better at it than others. But real dollars do not always match what the salary cap books show, if that makes sense. Look to the table above. In 2018, the Vikings were the 3rd biggest spender of real cash dollars of any team in the entire NFL.

Why? Because they signed Kirk Cousins to a record-setting fully-guaranteed deal that paid out a huge signing bonus up front. That signing bonus was direct deposited into Kirk’s bank account in straight cash homie. Tens of millions of dollars.

Related: Could Too Much Torque on J.J. McCarthy’s Arm be a Concern for Vikings?

So is this why Justin Jefferson hasn’t been signed yet? We’ve all been wondering why the Minnesota Vikings would wait on paying JJ, when they could have given him an offer he couldn’t have refused last year and ended up paying way less than whatever they are going to end up paying him this offseason… or next.

Could it have been a cash flow problem on the Wilfs’ end? Maybe, maybe not. But there is no doubt that the table above shows an obvious trend since Zygi and the boys bought the Orlando SC.

Prior to that purchase, the Vikings had enjoyed a half decade of high-class spending, compared to the rest of the NFL. Since the purchase, they’ve mostly been near the bottom of the league in spending. If JJ doesn’t get paid, they’ll probably be near the bottom again in 2024 (currently projected for 28th).

Wilfs confident in O’Connell, Kwesi (Vikings) plan at QB

Kevin O’Connell is the one of the five youngest coaches in football, at 38, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is a member of the five youngest general managers too. So… are Mark and Zigi Wilf staying extra involved in the Vikings’ franchise deciding quarterback search? No. At least, that’s what Mark told NFL Network on Monday, even after (one of us) Tom Pelissero gave him an easy excuse to admit otherwise.

THE NFL REPORT! Vikings owner Mark Wilf says his team has a plan at QB and seems happy they added a 2nd first-round pick for “flexibility.” 🤔. Watch the full interview and entire episode on YouTube: https://t.co/dR1AcxB1Og pic.twitter.com/m1mWbT0gTl

— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) March 26, 2024

Pelissero: “Some other teams that are in the quarterback market, they’ve had their owners and their team presidents, among others, in the interview process [with potential QB prospects]. As you’ve said, it’s a very important position. How involved do you and Zigi get through this process?”

Mark Wilf: “We’re certainly engaged all the time with Kwesi and Coach [O’Connell], Rob Brzezinski; the whole football operations. But we have a lot of confidence that they know what they’re doing, they’ve got the right ideas and we’re behind them; and the extent they’re gonna want further involvement from us, we’re there to help. But again, we know what we know and we know what they know, and they’ll get it right.”

Mark Wilf on NFL Network Monday

Mark was also asked by NFL Network’s Steve Wyche, just before Tom asked the question transcribed above, about the Vikings’ excitement regarding Sam Darnold. Mark confirmed that he, along with the rest of the organization, is excited to see what Sam can bring this year.

Related: Commanders Reportedly Out on Jayden Daniels at No. 2

But, he also made it clear with that first question that their real quarterback plan will unfold in the draft. And boy does he seem excited about it. In fact, Mark’s clear excitement has me feeling better about how the next month will unfold too.

Wyche: “The Vikings are big conversation leading into the draft! Your quarterback spot, are you pushing the guys to go ahead and and get somebody? We know you signed Sam Darnold but…?”

Wilf: “Well, we love Sam Darnold but, you know, when it comes to the the quarterback position, it’s certainly critical. And Kwesi and coach O’Connell are working hard, we’ve got a plan, and Sam Darnold is part of it; and we’re excited he’s in the building, and we’re excited we have two first round picks. So, we’ll see where it all goes. We have a lot of flexibility and we’ll see what happens…”

Mark Wilf on NFL Network Monday

Related: Kevin O’Connell Convinced Vikings Can Resurrect Sam Darnold’s Football Career

This man does not give off the vibe of an owner who is losing sleep over the future of his franchise. If anything, he might be losing sleep over the excitement of what’s about to transpire. Like a kid who knows he has the best christmas present in town… but it’s only black Friday and there’s a month to go before that bad boy gets unwrapped.

Mark Wilf loves Kirk Cousins for one more season

But on Monday morning, Vikings’ owner Mark Wilf got on “Good Morning Football” (NFL Network) and made reports into spoken words. After praising Justin Jefferson, Wilf was asked about Kirk Cousins’ future and, unlike what he said about JJ, was very non-committal to Kirk beyond 2023-24.

Minnesota Vikings Owner & President Mark Wilf wakes up with GMFB to talk about some of our favorite names on the roster #SKOL @Vikings pic.twitter.com/zynr1Wv96T

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) March 13, 2023

“Kirk’s an outstanding quarterback, He’s done a great job for us. This past season, I think, with Kevin O’Connell, he took our offense to the next level. So, we’re looking for great things in 2023 and Kirk’s gonna be our leader on the offense.”

Mark Wilf on Good Morning Football (NFL Network)

The NFL legal tampering period begins at 11 AM CT, Monday, so news around the league will pile in all day. Free agents can “agree to terms” with teams for the next 2.5 days, but deals can’t be made official until Wednesday (March 15) at 3 PM CT.

Vikings fans thrown off by recent Cousins drama

Minnesota Vikings fans, however, are a bit distracted by what’s currently going on with Kirk Cousins. We’ll find out a lot about how highly prioritized winning will be next season, with how the next few days unfold.

Does Kwesi continue to gut the roster or does he look to start adding pieces that can help the team improve immediately? But the biggest domino is Kirk Cousins. Whether extended, left alone or traded, this new regime does with Kirk will be the biggest clue into what they have envisioned for 2023 and beyond.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan