Heading into the offseason, the biggest discussion surrounding the Vikings was whether they should bring back Sam Darnold. All that was put to rest on Monday when Darnold signed a three-year, $110.5 million deal with the Seahawks. After trading Geno Smith to the Raiders, Seattle found their new QB.

Vikings safety Camryn Bynum also signed a new deal. The Colts nabbed him for four years at $60 million to beef up their secondary. Bynum was drafted by the Vikings in the fourth round in 2021, and by 2022 he was a full-time starting safety. He tied for second on the team with three interceptions last season.

Minnesota Vikings backup QB signs with Jaguars

With the potential re-signing of Daniel Jones on the table, Nick Mullens has taken a deal with Jacksonville. The almost 30-year-old QB signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract with $3 million guaranteed. He will now back up Trevor Lawrence under new offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, who Mullens followed from Minnesota.

Jacksonville is another step in a long journey for Nick Mullens’ career. After going undrafted in 2017, he signed with the 49ers’ practice squad and spent his whole rookie season there. He became the third-string QB in 2018, getting his chance to start for the back half of the season after injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo and C.J. Beathard. He also started eight games for the Niners in 2020, going 2-6 with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Signings – 2025

Mullens then spent a year in Cleveland before signing with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022. In three seasons, he appeared in 13 games with an 0-3 record as a starter, throwing eight touchdowns and nine picks. He’s spent his entire career as a backup and will be first in line behind Lawrence.

Jaguars nab another Viking

Former Vikings tight end Johnny Mundt also got himself paid on Monday. He signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal with the Jaguars, following Mullens and Udinski to the AFC. The Jaguars released starting TE Evan Engram a couple days ago, opening up an opportunity for Mundt to get increased playing time.

Like Mullens, Johnny Mundt went undrafted in 2017 and signed with the Rams, jumping between the active roster and practice squad. He spent five years in LA before coming to Minnesota in 2022, where he was the starter before T.J. Hockenson was traded from Detroit. He caught 19 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown.

Related: Top DL Free Agent Visiting Minnesota Vikings

In the ensuing two years, Mundt started just three games but appeared in all of them. He totaled 36 catches for 314 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 8.7 yards per reception. His numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he is known for his blocking prowess going back to his days as a Ram. Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell even called him the best TE3 in the league.

Vikings LB cashes in on career season

Vikings linebacker and defensive end Patrick Jones II is also cashing in after the best year of his young career. He agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $20 million with the Panthers after racking up a career-high seven sacks and one forced fumble. Jones has spent all four years of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, but has only started in five games.

A third-round pick in 2021, Patrick Jones II is likely looking for a spot where he can start consistently. With both Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard coming back for Minnesota, there was little room for Jones to become a starter. He will now be a part of a rejuvenated Panthers defense that signed Tre’von Moehrig and re-signed Jaycee Horn.

It’s a playoff game that will have a very weird feel to it, especially inside State Farm Stadium. The crowd will probably have something close to a 50/50 split between Vikings fans and Rams fans, maybe 60/40 one way or another (I’d bet on slightly more Vikings fans).

Final Minnesota Vikings injury report vs Los Angeles Rams – Wildcard Round

But at the end of the day, this contest will be decided on the field, by the players of each team. And this deep into an NFL season, the final injury report is always worth keeping an eye on. But on Saturday afternoon, the Minnesota Vikings injury report didn’t reveal any surprise injuries.

Instead, we got another backup running back who is questionable to play because of a pop-up illness. On Friday, Ty Chandler landed on the injury report for the first time this week, with an illness. Now, one day later, Aaron Jones No. 1 replacement, Cam Akers, is questionable for an illness of his own.

Final #Vikings injury report

OUT: Pat Jones II

QUESTIONABLE: Cam Akers (illness) and Taki Taimani*

*Currently within 21-day practice window pic.twitter.com/Ae9fFyR8Dj

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 11, 2025

Cam Akers has played a pretty big part in the Minnesota Vikings offense, since November 3 vs the Colts, about three weeks after trading for him. In total, Akers has played 186 snaps for the purple, carrying the ball 64 times for 297 yards and one touchdown.

Related: LA Rams WR Charged with DUI Before Playoff Game vs Vikings

The 25-year-old back out of Florida State has also caught 10 passes (on 11 targets) for 52 yards receiving and 2 more touchdowns. Akers is a much better blocker than Ty Chandler, too. So without a doubt, it would hurt to lose Akers to a surprise illness. Thankfully, Kevin O’Connell told reporters that he is expected to go.

#Vikings injury report:

Pat Jones II is out; Cam Akers is questionable because of an illness. Kevin O’Connell said he expects Akers to be good to go.

Vikings will make a decision on Taki Taimani by tomorrow afternoon.

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) January 11, 2025

Other Minnesota Vikings injuries

In some good news, Taki Taimani, who has been on injured reserve since November 1 with an ankle injury, was the only other Minnesota Vikings player listed on Saturday’s final injury report. He had his 21-day practice window opened earlier this week and could be activated before Monday night’s game, if he is ready and the Vikings choose to do so.

Pat Jones will miss his second-straight game, after suffering a knee injury in week 17 vs the Green Bay Packers, with just eight defensive snaps under his belt. Jones played a crucial role, down the stretch, for the Vikings. He put up 6 QB hurries between weeks 13 and 16. PFF gave him an 80.4 defensive grade in his final full game vs Seahawks.

Tucker Kraft went low against Minnesota Vikings

With the Green Bay Packers on offense and a run dialed up for Josh Jacobs, tight end Tucker Kraft went in motion. He switched sides on the offensive line and chopped Vikings edge Patrick Jones II below the knees. Teammate Jonathan Greenard called it out immediately.

Dude motioned from 30 yards away to STILL cut him. Pathetic. Be a man block up high. @NFL get rid of this block PLEASE. https://t.co/x6XP1Us9ji

— Jonathan Greenard (@jongreenard7) December 30, 2024

The block was technically legal with it taking place within the tackle box, but it doesn’t make it any less dirty. Kraft could have opted to block Jones up high and push him out of the play. That’s the argument that Greenard is making, and one that the NFL should take into account.

Greenard has seen his fair share of NFL football with 64 games under his belt. That makes it all the more laughable for random Twitter users to be arguing in his mentions.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Goes Surfing After Massive Win

Patrick Jones II has played in 15 games for Minnesota this season and started one. He has career-high’s across the board including seven sacks, 39 tackles, nine for losses, and 12 quarterback hits.

It is the production that Jones has provided that kept rookie Dallas Turner on the bench for so long. After leaving the game with a knee injury, it’s unlikely that Jones will be available next week against Detroit. It will be on Greenard and Turner to fill the void alongside Andrew Van Ginkel.

Related: Week 18 NFL Odds: Minnesota Vikings vs Detroit Lions

It’s truly terrible that chop blocks are legalized in certain situations. They never look any less dirty, and it’s the same sort of play that Kerby Joseph used on T.J. Hockenson to blow out his knee last season.

Although they have only three draft picks in 2025, there’s a few players the Vikings could trade to earn more draft capital. At least, according to one Minnesota Vikings’ beat writer.

Three potential players the Minnesota Vikings could trade for more draft capital

According to Judd Zulgad (Skor North), there’s three potential players the Minnesota Vikings could look to trade over these next couple days. Those players are former 2022 first-round draft pick safety Lewis Cine, 2022 third-round pick inside linebacker Brian Asamoah, and 2021 third-round pick outside linebacker Patrick Jones II.

Over the next few days, @Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah may look to acquire some more draft capital heading into 2025, per @jzulgad.

Speculating, these are three potential players Adofo-Mensah could move:
1️⃣S Lewis Cine
2️⃣ILB Brian Asamoah
3️⃣OLB Patrick Jones II pic.twitter.com/oSL4g2iX4l

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) August 24, 2024

It will be interesting to see if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah tries to make any trades before cuts are announced on Tuesday. The Vikings would love to add a draft pick or two because right now they only have three for 2025, including their first-rounder. Safety Lewis Cine was clearly being showcased last Saturday against the Browns and should get plenty of snaps against the Eagles. Speculating on other players Adofo-Mensah might try to move: Linebacker Brian Asamoah, a third-round pick in 2022 and/or pass rusher Pat Jones II, a third-round pick in 2021.

Judd Zulgad (Skor North)

Cine has been talked about as a trade target before. However, he did have a strong preseason game that may be lingering in the back of Adofo-Mensah’s head. Although he was a former first-round pick, Cine just hasn’t panned out with this team. It’s extremely unfortunate, but that is the nature of the NFL sometimes.

Asamoah is an intriguing trade asset too. He was supposed to be the starting inside linebacker last season, but was beat out by undrafted free agent Ivan Pace Jr. At the time, it looked really bad on Asamoah’s end. However, Pace Jr. has turned into one of the best linebackers in the NFL.

Related: Lewis Cine Still Has Uphill Battle to Make 53-Man Roster

Zulgad listing Jones II was quite interesting as well. Jones II hasn’t done a whole lot in his NFL tenure with the Minnesota Vikings, but really seemed to take that “next step” this offseason.

What could the Minnesota Vikings’ get in return for these players?

The Vikings are unlikely to get any high-end draft picks for any of these players. You’re likely looking at a sixth or seventh round draft pick back in return. Possibly conditional measures on those picks depending on snap counts during the season.

3 out of the top 4 draft picks by #Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in 2022 are “on the ropes” of not making the 53-man roster, per @SeifertESPN 👀

“Jobs are neither won nor lost during spring practices, but anyone watching could see that three of the Vikings' top 4 picks from the… pic.twitter.com/rTdWor8juL

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) June 22, 2024

Overall, having only three picks in the 2025 NFL draft isn’t stellar. Adofo-Mensah has a chance to add more draft picks for players that likely will be cut or will see limited snaps during the season. Will Adofo-Mensah make these moves by Tuesday, August 27th at 3:00PM CST?