Should Vikings have interest in Cordarrelle Patterson or Christian Wilkins?

Patterson, 34, will now look for a new home for his 13th NFL season. Should the Vikings have any interest in potentially bringing him back to where his career began?

It would certainly be a fun story if Patterson were to come back to Minnesota on a one-year deal. He was the 29th overall pick in 2013, finished third in offensive rookie of the year voting, and made three All-Pro teams as a kick returner across four seasons with the Vikings. Patterson has a strong case to be considered the greatest kick returner in NFL history, as he holds the all-time record with nine kickoff return touchdowns (five of which came in a Vikings uniform).

The question is how much juice Patterson has left in the tank at 34. He returned 11 kickoffs last season for the Steelers and averaged 21.8 yards on those plays, which was dead last among the 33 players with at least ten returns. His average was similar on seven returns in 2023, which was his final year with the Falcons.

The Vikings got very little out of the kick return game last season. They only had 14 returns all year — eight of those from Ty Chandler — and none went for more than 35 yards. But this season, the kickoff return is expected to be a bigger part of the game, given that touchbacks will now placed at the 35-yard-line instead of the 30.

In theory, Patterson could add competition for Chandler as a kick returner and also as a depth option at running back, where he had a couple strong seasons with the Falcons in 2021 and '22. He's a versatile player who has lined up at RB and wide receiver over the course of his 12-year career, in addition to his prolific kick returning.

With that said, a Minnesota return seems unlikely. Patterson may not have much left in the tank at his age, and the Vikings already have a few in-house options who could return kicks in 2025.

What about Christian Wilkins?

Another big-name player who recently became available is Wilkins, who was stunningly released by the Raiders last week, just one year after signing a huge four-year contract in free agency.

There's a lot of drama around Wilkins' exit from Las Vegas. The team has attempted to void the remainder of his guaranteed money due to a dispute over the way he's rehabbed the foot injury that knocked him out last season, leading the NFLPA to file a grievance on his behalf. There's also been rumors about a locker room incident; Adam Schefter reported Monday that it involved Wilkins playfully kissing a teammate on the top of the head and that teammate taking offense.

On the field, Wilkins would be a huge addition for any team, as long as he's healthy. The former 13th overall pick, now 29 years old, had nine sacks and 58 pressures in his final season with the Dolphins in 2023. The year before that, he racked up 98 tackles, 16 of them for a loss.

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores coached Wilkins in Miami from 2019-21. On Monday, Flores was asked if he'd be interested in a reunion with the star defensive tackle.

"I have a lot of history with Christian," Flores said. "I kinda let Kwesi and his staff handle that side. We've got a pretty good group that we feel really good about, D-line wise. But I don't mind adding more," he said with a smile. "Again, I let those guys handle that. I know that's what people are gonna say, 'Flo said he wouldn't mind adding more.' That's probably what's gonna be the headline."

The Vikings might not make a ton of sense as a fit for Wilkins, given that they already added Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to complement Harrison Phillips in their defensive tackle room. They've also got some younger depth players they're excited about. But it can't be completely ruled out, given the Flores connection and the potential that Wilkins could be pretty cheap. They were rumored to have significant interest in him last year before he signed with the Raiders.

"I don't know what happened with the injury," Flores said. "I'm hopeful that he gets back healthy and get out there and play, because I know he loves to play."

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