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3 Vikings Whose Value Skyrocketed This Season
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- 3 Vikings Whose Value Skyrocketed This Season
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings will embark on the offseason in two days, putting either an 8-9 or 9-8 season in the rearview that proved to be generally disappointing. It wasn't entirely disappointing for some individual players, though. A few Vikings saw their value shoot to the moon.
Minnesota watched three under-the-radar performers turn 2025 into leverage, pushing their next contracts into a new tier.
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The following players outperformed their contracts and can be considered more valuable now than when the season began in September.
A Few Vikings Turned 2025 Into Leverage
These are the Vikings players with skyrocketing value heading into the offseason.
Oklahoma defensive lineman Jalen Redmond addresses reporters during media day at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman on Aug. 2, 2022, answering questions about expectations, preparation, and his development within the Sooners' program. Mandatory Credit: Sarah Phipps-The Oklahoman-USA TODAY NETWORK
1. Jalen Redmond | DT
Redmond has quietly become one of the NFL's top defensive tackles, while casual non-Vikings fans don't know who he is. The Vikings tweeted about him this week, "According to Pro Football Focus, Redmond is the only interior lineman with a PFF Run Defense Grade above 72 and at least 6.0 sacks on the season (min. 80% snaps played)."
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When Redmond embarked on the 2025 campaign, he simply had to prove that his 2024 success wasn't a one-hit wonder. He did that and then some. Redmond showed that he's one of the best in the business, and truth be told, he deserved some Pro Bowl consideration .
One could argue that he is the Vikings' best defensive player .
He will go from a league minimum contract to a deal worth at least $12 million per year. Perhaps a lot more.
2. Will Reichard | K
Reichard caught fire and stayed there. Making 30 field goals on 32 tries is elite anywhere, and it borders on surreal for a franchise that has spent decades bracing for disaster every time a kicker trots out. For the Vikings, this kind of reliability feels almost foreign — like it's not real.
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He hasn't missed an extra point either — another quiet miracle for a team that turned PATs into weekly anxiety exercises for about ten years.
Minnesota ranks third in the NFL in field-goal percentage in 2025, trailing only the Jets and Colts , and sits alone at the top in extra-point accuracy.
Then there's the distance work. Reichard has drilled 11 kicks from 50-plus, tied with Brandon Aubrey and former Viking Chase McLaughlin . Not long ago, if a Vikings kicker hit a single 50+ yards, fans did cartwheels. These days, the same fans treat Reichard like money in the bank from distance.
Strip away the stats and the history, and the conclusion is apparent. For the time being — hopefully for many year — Minnesota's kicking demons have vanished.
Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard lines up during NFC Wild Card action against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 13, 2025, handling kicking duties in a high-stakes playoff environment. The postseason appearance marked another pressure-filled moment for Reichard as Minnesota battled to extend its season on the road. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Vikings special teams coach Matt Daniels said about Reichard this week:
You look at just the overall. How I want to put this? His portfolio of kicks on the year. I mean, he tied for the longest at Soldier Field, really going against the win, 59-yarder. He hits the second-longest at Lambeau (Field) dating back since David Akers in 2004.
And I think the — not really unfortunate part — but we really haven't had those ice-in-the-veins kind of walkoff, winning field goals yet in his career. But in moments when we needed them the most, whether it's to go up by three with two minutes left in the game and defense got to get a stop or it's to put ourselves in a position to basically go up another possession or extra three or seven points right there, he's been able to do that and capitalize on those biggest of moments.
3. Eric Wilson | LB
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Wilson has turned into a full-blown problem for opposing offenses. No qualifiers needed.
Among off-ball linebackers leaguewide through 16 games, he sits first in sacks, first in quarterback pressures, second in forced fumbles, 13th in defensive stops, and 32nd in tackles. Those numbers weren't on anyone's bingo card in March. When Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed him, Wilson felt like depth. A veteran hedge. Instead, he forced his way into the lineup by becoming a starter, with no arguments from anyone.
At 31, Wilson may benefit from Brian Flores' aggressive system , but that explanation only goes so far. Plenty of players operate in this scheme. Very few dominate inside it like Wilson. He started 2025 off with a bang in Week 1 at the Chicago Bears and just never stopped.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson celebrates following the NFC Divisional Playoff win over the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium on Jan. 14, 2018, soaking in the atmosphere after a pivotal postseason performance. The victory advanced Minnesota deeper into the playoffs and remains one of the franchise's most memorable home playoff moments. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
If Flores is back in 2026, keeping Wilson around shouldn't require much debate. Productive veterans with this level of impact don't come cheap, but letting one walk after a season like this would be self-inflicted damage.
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The ripple effect was real, too. Ivan Pace Jr. entered 2025 with momentum and a starter'sjob. Wilson still took the job. Pace Jr. may now be the odd man out while Wilson sticks around. Few saw that coming.
