Minnesota Vikings News Page 5 - NFL | FOX Sports

Chandon Sullivan - Productive in 2022 Sullivan tallied career highs with 60 tackles (45 solo), seven passes defended and one fumble recovery over 17 games during the 2022 regular season.

Impact Sullivan was one of the few Vikings cornerbacks to remain healthy throughout the entire season. As a result, he played a career-high 907 defensive snaps, which was second behind only Patrick Peterson in the team's cornerbacks corps. Minnesota's defense did finish 30th in yards per attempt and 31st in total passing yards per game allowed this season. Therefore, with Sullivan set to become a free agent for the second time in as many years, it's unclear if he'll be re-signed prior to the 2023 season.

JANUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Danielle Hunter - Solid bounce back in 2022 Hunter racked up 65 tackles (46 solo), including 10.5 sacks, and three passes defended while playing all 17 games in the 2022 regular season.

Impact Hunter returned to play every game this season after he was limited to just seven appearances in 2021 due to a season-ending pectoral injury. The 28-year-old also finished with double-digit sacks for the first time since 2019 after being paired up with fellow veteran edge rusher Za'Darius Smith this season. While this pairing did not result in the most productive overall pass rush for Minnesota, they both finished with 10 or more sacks in 2022. Hunter will now enter the final stretch of his five-year, $72 million contract in 2023.

JANUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE

Vikings interview assistant Mike Pettine for DC vacancy

The Minnesota Vikings interviewed internal candidate Mike Pettine for their defensive coordinator vacancy

JANUARY 25 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Patrick Peterson - Delivers bounce-back 2022 season Peterson compiled a career-high 66 tackles (56 solo) and 15 pass breakups -- including five interceptions -- while playing all 17 regular-season games for the Vikings in 2022.

Impact Thanks to not missing any game action while playing nearly every snap on defense, Peterson surpassed his previous career high for tackles, which he set during his rookie campaign in 2011. The 32-year-old cornerback also logged double-digit pass breakups for the first time since 2013, and he actually accumulated his second-most passes defended plus interceptions of any season in his career. Peterson re-signed with Minnesota on a one-year, $4 million contract last season, and with the team already a projected $24.5 million over the cap heading into the 2023 season, it's possible that the veteran defender may have priced himself out of the Vikings' plans.

JANUARY 25 • ROTOWIRE

Camryn Bynum - Pops in sophomore season Bynum registered a career-high 81 tackles (49 solo) and added six pass breakups, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries while playing in all 17 regular-season games in 2022.

Impact Bynum doubled his production in pass breakups while nearly tripling his number of tackles from his rookie campaign with Minnesota. The 2021 fourth-round pick saw the majority of his playing time on special teams in the previous season, but he opened the 2022 campaign in an every-down role alongside veteran strong safety Harrison Smith. The 24-year-old Bynum maintained this role throughout the entirety of the campaign after rookie first-round pick Lewis Cine went down with a season-ending fractured leg Week 4. If Cine is back to full health in 2023, Bynum could end up ceding more work in the Minnesota secondary.

JANUARY 25 • ROTOWIRE

Harrison Smith - Maintains prominent role in 2022 Smith posted 85 tackles (66 solo), 10 pass breakups and five interceptions,over 14 appearances during the 2022 regular season.

Impact Smith continued his do-it-all role on the back end of Minnesota's defense despite playing in fewer than 15 regular-season games for the first time since 2016. While his tackling production took a dip following his career-best 114-tackle campaign in 2021, the 33-year-old safety still maintained a prominent role in pass coverage, matching his career high for interceptions while also posting double-digit passes defensed for the fifth time. Smith is set to incur a $19.4 million cap hit next season, so it's unclear if the Vikings may look to restructure his deal or move on from him in order to alleviate their difficult cap situation heading into 2023.

JANUARY 25 • ROTOWIRE

Hurts, Jefferson, Mahomes among AP NFL MVP finalists

Jalen Hurts, Justin Jefferson and Patrick Mahomes are finalists for The Associated Press 2022 NFL Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards

JANUARY 25 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Eric Kendricks - Posts another prolific campaign Kendricks tallied 137 tackles (87 solo), including one sack, to go along with six passes defended and a fumble recovery for a touchdown while playing 17 games in the 2022 regular s...

Impact Kendricks played every regular-season game for the first time since the 2017 season. As a result, the 30-year-old linebacker logged a career-high in defensive snaps (1,051), and he totaled six fewer tackles than his career-best 2021 campaign. Kendricks also finished with a team high in tackles for the second year in a row, even after the addition of fellow veteran linebacker Jordan Hicks this past offseason. With this pair still under contract for one more season, they should continue to serve as the Vikings' top tacklers unless the team opts to move onto younger players at the position this offseason.

JANUARY 24 • ROTOWIRE

Jordan Hicks - Big stats in first year with Vikes Hicks accumulated 128 tackles (86 solo), including three sacks, as well as 10 passes defended and an interception over 17 games in 2022.

Impact Hicks played his fewest defensive snaps (897) of the last four seasons, though he still finished with his second-most tackles of any season during this span. He served as the team's No. 2 off-ball linebacker and second-leading tackler behind Eric Kendricks (137) in this duo's first season together. Hicks also logged double-digit passes defended for just the second time in his career. The 30-year-old does have a potential out in 2023 heading into the second year of his contract with Minnesota, though he should continue to fulfill a prominent role if he's retained by the team this offseason.

JANUARY 24 • ROTOWIRE

AP source: Bill O'Brien agrees to return as Patriots OC

Bill O’Brien has agreed to return to the Patriots as their offensive coordinator, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press

JANUARY 24 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Greg Joseph - Dip in efficiency during 2022 Joseph converted 26 of his 33 field-goal attempts and went 40-for-46 on point-after tries over 17 games in the 2022 regular season.

Impact Joseph got off to a rough start during his second season with Minnesota, going 9-for-14 on field-goal tries over the first seven games. He did finish strong by not missing a single field-goal attempt in all but one of the final 11 games, including the wild-card loss to the Giants. However, Joseph particularly struggled from long range this season, as he knocked through four of his 10 field-goal attempts of 50 yards or more. He thus finished with both the most missed field goals and extra points of his career, so it's unclear if he'll be re-signed before becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

JANUARY 24 • ROTOWIRE

Kene Nwangwu - Effective on special teams in 2022 Nwangwu tallied nine rushes for 14 yards to go along with two receptions (on two targets) for 21 yards over 17 games during the 2022 regular season. He also returned 35 kickoffs fo...

Impact Nwangwu logged the third kickoff-return touchdown of his career while continuing to almost exclusively play in this phase. The second-year running back actually logged fewer offensive snaps (18) than he did during his rookie season (27), when he played just 11 games. Instead, top running backs Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison once again carried Minnesota's rushing game. With the team currently $24.5 million over the projected 2023 salary cap, it's unclear how the Vikings will handle the futures of Cook and Mattison, the latter of whom is set to become an unrestricted free agent. The potential departure of either of these two backs could open up more opportunities for Nwangwu in 2023.

JANUARY 24 • ROTOWIRE

Johnny Mundt - Short-yardage receiver in 2022 Mundt caught 19 of 21 targets for 140 yards and a touchdown while playing in all 17 games during the 2022 regular season.

Impact Mundt saw by far the most extensive playing time of his career after following Vikings first-year coach Kevin O'Connell to Minnesota this past offseason. The 28-year-old tight end also accumulated more receptions and receiving yards than he did over the first six seasons of his career with the Rams. Mundt still finished the season in a reserve role behind prolific receiving tight end T.J. Hockenson, who was acquired via trade from Detroit midway through the season. With 2019 second-round pick Irv Smith currently set to become a free agent this offseason, Mundt could be in line to serve as Minnesota's No. 2 tight end in 2023.

JANUARY 24 • ROTOWIRE

Irv Smith Jr. - Set to hit free agency Over eight regular-season games, Smith recorded 25 receptions (on 36 targets) for 182 yards and two touchdowns in 2022.

Impact Smith got out to a solid start over the first seven games of the season before landing on IR with a high-ankle sprain. The 2019 second-round pick then was activated ahead of the regular-season finale, though he'd already lost his No. 1 tight end spot to T.J. Hockenson, whom the Vikings acquired via trade from Detroit just before Smith went on injured reserve Nov. 1. Smith then finished the campaign by catching one of two targets while playing just four offensive snaps in the wild-card loss to the Giants. He thus finished the 2022 campaign with the lowest receiving marks of his career outside of the 2021 season, when he sat out every game due to a meniscus injury. Smith now is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, leaving it possible he isn't retained by the Vikings.

JANUARY 24 • ROTOWIRE

K.J. Osborn - Stacks up another solid season Osborn caught 60 of 90 targets for 650 yards and five touchdowns while playing all 17 games in the 2022 regular season.

Impact The 25-year-old reprised his role as the Vikings' No. 3 wideout behind superstar Justin Jefferson and longtime veteran Adam Thielen. However, Osborn finished the season as the team's fourth receiving option after that pair and tight end T.J. Hockenson, who accumulated 60 receptions for 519 yards after being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline. The third-year wideout still posted almost the exact same stat line from his breakout 2021 (50-655-7 on 82 targets). Osborn also capped off the season on a solid note by hauling in two of three targets for 20 yards and his sixth touchdown between regular season and playoffs during the wild-card loss to the Giants. With Thielen seemingly on a decline over the past two seasons, Osborn could be in line for a bigger role heading into the final year of his rookie contract in 2023.

JANUARY 24 • ROTOWIRE

Vikings fire defensive coordinator Donatell after rough year

The Minnesota Vikings have fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell in an unsurprising decision on the veteran coach after a dismal finish by his defense

JANUARY 19 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Vikings' O'Connell still evaluating defense, Donatell status

Kevin O’Connell enjoyed a strong debut as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings with a record-setting wide receiver, a productive offense and a division title

JANUARY 18 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jim Harbaugh calls Michigan president to say he's staying

Jim Harbaugh is staying at Michigan, a decision he personally gave the school president on Monday to end another round of speculation that he would return to the NFL

JANUARY 16 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Vikings face abrupt finish, roster churn after all that fun

The end hit harder for the Minnesota Vikings than usual

JANUARY 16 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Giants coach Daboll undaunted by 3rd meeting with Eagles

New York Giants fans have Super Bowl hopes for the first time in years and first-year coach Brian Daboll is being compared to Bill Parcells, who turned around the Giants in the 198...

JANUARY 16 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nick Muse - Inks another deal with Minnesota Muse signed a reserve/future contract with the Vikings on Monday.

Impact Muse bounced back and forth between Minnesota's active roster and practice squad this season. Over 10 appearances, the rookie seventh-rounder served as a core special-teamer while playing just two offensive snaps all season. Muse will look to carve out a larger role on offense heading into the 2023 campaign.

JANUARY 16 • ROTOWIRE

Trishton Jackson - Sticking with Minnesota The Vikings signed Jackson to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Impact Jackson spent the entirety of the 2022 season on Minnesota's practice squad after he failed to carve out a spot on the active roster during the preseason. The 2020 undrafted wideout will now sign his second reserve/future contract with the Vikings in as many years. Jackson, who never saw the field while on the Rams' active roster during his rookie season, still has yet to make his NFL debut.

JANUARY 16 • ROTOWIRE