With training camp just seven weeks away and the regular season kicking off in about three months, the Minnesota Vikings are in the thick of the summer and subsequent rumor mill.
The team recently concluded another round of organized team activities and made a surprising front office move this week, onboarding Nolan Teasley from the Seattle Seahawks as their new general manager. Given these developments, now is an ideal time to review the Sunday Vikings rumors and weekend buzz.
Vikings Rumor Mill Has a Few Strange Turns
Rumor: Buffalo Bills-themed media thinks the Bills will be able to sign Blake Cashman from late-summer free agency after an apparent roster cut.
The theory arose in a piece from Randy Gurzi titled: Post-June 1 Cut Candidates the Buffalo Bills Could Target.
Gurzi explained, “Blake Cashman recently turned 30, which is one of the reasons the Minnesota Vikings might be willing to shed his $9.18 million salary. As a post-June 1 cut, the Vikings would free up $7.6 million. Despite his age, Cashman has remained highly effective, recording 144 tackles in 2025.”
“Still, he’s been named a potential trade or cut candidate throughout the offseason and if that winds up being the case, the Bills would be wise to bring him in on a one-year deal as they help Kaleb Elarms-Orr develop into a consistent starter.”
Cashman is one of the Vikings’ top defenders, but that didn’t stop SI.com from envisioning an August roster release. Bizarre.
The SI.com piece is strangely framed, particularly its assertion that Cashman’s release is an obvious and expected outcome for the Vikings. That perspective is inaccurate. Cashman is a core and central figure in Brian Flores’ defense, serving as a communication czar. His contributions are a big reason why Minnesota’s linebacker unit transformed from a concern into a strength. He is not merely a backup vying for a roster spot in August.
The Vikings will undoubtedly have several players truly on the roster bubble, such as Theo Jackson, Walter Rouse, and Ben Yurosek, depending on their training camp performance. Cashman, however, should not be considered in that discussion.
Suggesting he will be a free agent in late August is a peculiar leap, indicative of a roster analysis that overlooks his actual role and importance to the Vikings.
Rumor: Internally, the Vikings are not shopping J.J. McCarthy via trade.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis said this week, “My conversations with people internally have not been about trade. They have not been about those comments. They have been about wanting to maximize every single day in the field and making sure that happens. The chips will fall how the chips will fall.”
The second that Murray signed with Minnesota three months ago, trade rumors surrounding McCarthy began to circulate. Impatient NFL media and fans, quick to assume a quarterback’s development timeline, interpreted Murray’s signing as a potential precursor to McCarthy’s departure.
But the Vikings’ brass has affirmed their belief in McCarthy and their commitment to his development. Lewis’s reporting seems more logical than Minnesota being in a rush to trade McCarthy. particularly after two of the last three seasons were ravaged by quarterback injuries and a lack of depth at the position.
Rumor: Externally, unnamed NFL executives believe McCarthy will request a trade.
NFL insider Jason La Canfora quoted one general manager this week — anonymous and not specified as current or former — who said about McCarthy, “I think he wants out of there.”
La Canfora added, “Minnesota would likely not fetch much for McCarthy under these circumstances, and it might require an injury elsewhere to create more demand. If O’Connell couldn’t get much from him and opted to sell low on him, that would resonate around the league.”
“But it also stands to reason that obvious friction between a new QB you need to win with now, and one who has to quickly come to grips with watching games and not playing them so soon after being drafted that high, is far from ideal.”
The Vikings would likely have traded McCarthy in March or April, when quarterback demand was higher, rather than waiting for pre-training-camp rumors.
While his position is currently challenging with Murray on the roster, he still has an opportunity to reclaim his starting role and solidify his future as the team’s franchise quarterback. His performance during training camp and his reaction to the coaching staff’s ultimate decision will be the signal of his staying power. Thankfully, that process and decision are not far away.
