{"id":38142,"date":"2025-03-02T22:31:41","date_gmt":"2025-03-02T22:31:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=38142"},"modified":"2025-03-02T22:31:41","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T22:31:41","slug":"vikings-predicted-to-sign-46-million-super-bowl-champion-in-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=38142","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Predicted to Sign $46 Million Super Bowl Champion in Free Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<div>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-2180877355-2-e1740939155689.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-2180877355-2-e1740939155689.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-2180877355-2-e1740939155689.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-2180877355-2-e1740939155689.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Vikings Predicted to Sign $46 Million Super Bowl Champion in Free Agency\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p>Byron Murphy Jr. #7 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates an interception against the Los Angeles Rams.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Minnesota Vikings proved they could adjust when faced with adversity last season, shuffling the deck at cornerback before the campaign began. Facing similar uncertainty this offseason, the Vikings could fill a need with Charvarius Ward in free agency.<\/p>\n<p>Ward, who turns 29 in May, spent the past three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.<\/p>\n<p>He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023, leading the league with 23 pass deflections and had 5 interceptions. Ward also won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs after the 2019 season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Vikings will likely lose both of their outside cornerbacks \u2014 Byron Murphy Jr. and Stephon Gilmore \u2014 in free agency. Ward makes for a good replacement,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Aaron Schatz wrote on February 28. \u201cHe\u2019s solid in both man and zone coverage, and the 49ers played more zone this past season while the Vikings play a lot of zone behind Brian Flores\u2018 blitz packages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWard had a below-average coverage DVOA in 12 games in 2024 with only seven passes defended,\u201d Schatz wrote. \u201cBut in 2023, he ranked 26th in coverage DVOA, led the NFL with 23 passes defensed and had five interceptions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are a couple more seasons of prime performance left for him.\u201d Schatz wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Ward heads to free agency off a three-year, $40.5 million contract with the 49ers, and he has earned $46 million in his career.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Charvarius Ward\u2019s Plans Could Eliminate Vikings<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_5288251\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-2172211774-e1740939056179.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" alt=\"Vikings Predicted to Sign $46 Million Super Bowl Champion in Free Agency\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5288251\" data-lazy-load=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5288251\">GettyAaron Jones #33 of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the ball against Charvarius Ward #7 of the San Francisco 49ers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ward had 54 total tackles and 7 deflections with the 49ers in 2024. However, he failed to record an interception for the third time in his career. It was the first time since the 2020 season. The bigger issue for the Vikings could be what Ward has in mind for his free agency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike practically all of the 49ers, Ward took a step back last season, though it was a particularly trying season for the 28-year-old. He missed time because of hamstring and knee injuries. Then tragedy struck, with the death of his 1-year-old daughter,\u201d The Athletic\u2019s David DeChant, Jourdan Rodrigue and Vic Tafur wrote on February 24.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe has said he\u2019d like to be closer to Texas \u2014 where his girlfriend and newborn son live \u2014 and farther from the trauma he experienced in California.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"6a3690719f0db80673136d43398b07eb\">\n<div>\n<article>Charvarius Ward talked about what it was like coming back after losing his daughter.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Minnesota is a quicker flight to Texas than California is. Still, several teams are closer.<\/p>\n<p>The Vikings can argue they offer a better chance to compete than most potential suitors in free agency. They will also have other options that could fit what they want to do defensively. Ward, however, ranks as The Athletic\u2019s top cornerback available and the No. 10 overall free agent.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Vikings Hopeful on Byron Murphy Ahead of Free Agency<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_5288248\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-2186723323-1-e1740938940418.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" alt=\"Vikings Predicted to Sign $46 Million Super Bowl Champion in Free Agency\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5288248\" data-lazy-load=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5288248\">GettyByron Murphy Jr. #7 of the Minnesota Vikings in action against the Chicago Bears.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Over The Cap projects the Vikings will have $63 million to spend this offseason, though their quarterback decision will significantly impact that.<\/p>\n<p>The Vikings will also make an effort to retain Murphy in free agency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Vikings are hoping to re-sign corner Byron Murphy Jr., one of several third-contract corners in line for strong deals,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Jeremy Fowler wrote on March 2.<\/p>\n<p>Vikings CB3 Shaquill Griffin is also a free agent this offseason. The Vikings do not have any other corners who appeared in a game in 2024 under contract for the 2025 campaign. They also have limited draft capital, with just four picks in the 2025 cycle.<\/p>\n<p>Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He&#8217;s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter<\/p>\n<h2>More Heavy on Vikings News<\/h2>\n<p>Loading more stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Minnesota Vikings have a tremendous need at cornerback and they could find a top-notch solution in Charvarius Ward in free agency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":38143,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Vikings Predicted to Sign $46 Million Super Bowl Champion in Free Agency - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=38142\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Vikings Predicted to Sign $46 Million Super Bowl Champion in Free Agency - 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