Earlier in the day, it was
that the Oakland Raiders had emerged as the front runner to sign quarterback Josh Freeman.
Rumors placed Freeman with the Buffalo Bills, the San Francisco 49ers, and a number of other teams, but it was reported by NFL.com insider Ian Rapoport at the start of the special edition of Thursday Night Football on Sunday that he has chosen the Minnesota Vikings.
After being released last Thursday, it was unclear where the embattled quarterback might land. Would he be a starter or a backup?
Minnesota had a decent performance out of Matt Cassel last week as he went 16 of 25 for 248 yards with two touchdowns in the Vikings 34-27 victory over Pittsburgh — their first win of the season.
Now, in steps Freeman. He threw for over 4,000 yards last season with 27 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, and has thrown for over 13,500 yards in a 4+ year career.
According to Ian Rapoport, the value of Freeman’s new contract with the Vikings is one year and $3 million.
Not too shabby, especially when you consider the fact that Freeman is still owed close to $6 million by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Minnesota (1-3) had a bye this week, but return to action with Freeman, most likely as the starter, next Sunday at home against Carolina.