Almost no one on the outside expects much of the Minnesota Vikings in 2024.
On the inside, expectations are high. They always are in NFL buildings. The expectation to overperform can create pressure.
Here are four Vikings feeling the most pressure heading into 2024.
Minnesota Vikings Players Feeling the Most Pressure in 2024
Stephon Gilmore
Stephon Gilmore was a first-round pick. He’s played in front of Bills Mafia, for Bill Belichick, on the Super Bowl stage, and against No. 1 receivers for his entire career.
Pressure is nothing new to him.
That’s a good thing because in Minnesota the pressure will be on Gilmore to lead the way for a cornerback room that was rapidly rebuilt following tragedy and injury this summer.
The tragic death of Khyree Jackson before training camp and then the season-ending knee injury to Mekhi Blackmon on the first day of camp compromised the Vikings’ plans for the secondary.
A key part of the response in Minnesota was signing Gilmore, a two-time All-Pro. He likely won’t be eased into the defense either. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores was on the New England Patriots staff when Gilmore starred there, so the continuity will give Flores confidence to lean on Gilmore right out of the gates.
Whether Gilmore travels with the adversary’s top receiver week in and week out remains to be seen. What is known, however, is the Vikings will face a gauntlet of talented receivers early in the season.
It starts with rookie sensation Malik Nabers in Week 1 and continues with dynamite tandems the following two weeks with San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel Sr., as well as Houston’s Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs coming to town. Then it doesn’t get easier when the Vikings travel to Green Bay to face a young trio and then to London to face Mike Williams and Garrett Wilson.
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold advocates are quick to point out that the 2024 Vikings represent the best opportunity yet for the 2018 No. 3 overall pick. Jordan Addison, Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones, T.J. Hockenson once he’s healthy, and an offensive-minded play caller in head coach Kevin O’Connell who played the quarterback position in the NFL are part of the supporting cast.
Darnold detractors should then quickly point out that if he can’t put it together this season, then he probably never will.
FREE: Subscribe to PFN’s NFL Newsletter
No matter how one looks at it, there’s pressure on Darnold to get it done.
Another interesting wrinkle to Darnold’s situation is it’s likely a one-year tryout in Minnesota for Darnold to forge a path forward in the NFL. First-round pick J.J. McCarthy is healing from knee surgery that will prevent him from playing in 2024, but there’s little doubt the Vikings will turn to him as soon as the offseason program commences in 2025.
Aaron Jones
The Vikings’ rushing attack was anemic in 2023. Starter Alexander Mattison didn’t rush for a touchdown and averaged only 43.8 yards per game. As a team, the Vikings had just five runs of 20+ yards and no runs of 40+ yards.
When it came to moving the chains, the ground game wasn’t an option. The Vikings tallied just 79 first downs via the rush, tied for the second-worst in the league.
Enter Aaron Jones. The free agent signing from Green Bay crosses the border in this rivalry to help revitalize the running game. Doing so would also take some pressure off the aforementioned Darnold.
The only thing that’s changed in terms of the Vikings’ running game heading into 2024 is Jones. All five starting offensive linemen were on last year’s team, as were the top two run-blocking tight ends – Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver. The fullback, C.J. Ham, returns. Even the playcaller, O’Connell, is the same.
Garrett Bradbury
The Vikings have one of the best offensive tackle tandems in the NFL. Christian Darrisaw at left tackle and Brian O’Neill at right tackle give the Vikings a duo equally adept and dominant at pass blocking and run blocking.
When problems arise with the offensive line, it’s along the interior. At the center of it all, is Garrett Bradbury, a first-round pick from 2019 who has maintained his starting position despite spotty play along the interior of the line every season.
Entering 2024, the sixth season of Bradbury’s career, the Vikings remain committed to their center at a time when establishing the run and protecting the quarterback are priorities to open up more opportunities for the offense’s playmakers on the outside.