Vikings add more free agents, Lose Jones, and former equipment manager honored
(Eagan, MN) — The Minnesota Vikings have been on a spending spree to open up N-F-L Free Agency. While nothing will become official until today at 3 P-M, the early signs are the Vikes have brought in fresh bodies at a number of key areas. Defensive lineman Jonathan Allen was one of the bigger moves. He spent eight seasons at Washington and was a Pro Bowler in 2021 and 2022. He signs a three year, $60 million contract to wear purple. Other moves include: defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (two years, $30 million), guard Will Fries (five years, $88 million), cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (two years, $15 million), center Ryan Kelly (two years, $18 million) and safety Theo Jackson (two years, $12 million). The Vikings have also inked cornerback Byron Murphy, Jr, punter Ryan Wright and running back Aaron Jones to contract extensions.
(Indianapolis, IN) — A quarterback controversy has officially started in Indianapolis. According to E-S-P-N, the Colts have signed free agent quarterback Daniel Jones to a one-year, 14-million-dollar contract. Despite having the chance to return to the Vikings, Jones opted to sign with the Colts to compete for the starting job with former fourth overall pick Anthony Richardson. Deiric Jackson, Richardson’s agent, said Tuesday that his client is currently healthy and does not plan to seek a trade. Jones spent the final two months of the regular season on Minnesota’s practice squad after being released by the New York Giants.
(Eagan, MN) — The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that former Minnesota Vikings Equipment Manager Dennis Ryan has been selected as a 2025 Awards of Excellence recipient. Ryan, who retired in April of 2023 after a 47-year tenure with the team, worked 922 N-F-L games, missing only one regular season game due to COVID-19 in 2021. He began with the Vikings in 1975 working part time in the summer to help the equipment staff pack up the locker room and move operations to Mankato for the team’s annual training camp. Ryan was hired as a full-time member of the equipment staff in 1977 and just four years later in 1981 he became the youngest equipment manager in the NFL at 21 years old. A two-time winner of the Whitey Zimmerman Award, which honors the N-F-L’s Equipment Manager of the Year (1996 and 2017), Ryan worked with nine of the Vikings 10 head coaches, 15 of Minnesota’s 16 Hall of Famers and worked in all of the Vikings home stadiums (Metropolitan Stadum, Metrodome, T-C-F Bank Stadium and U.S. Bank Stadium). He handled the logistics for multiple international games, training camp in Mankato and the move of the organization’s headquarters from Winter Park to T-C-O Performance Center in 2018.
