4 Vikings who won't be back in 2024 after missing the playoffs
It's going to be an offseason filled with numerous questions for the Minnesota Vikings. Will the team bring back quarterback Kirk Cousins for the 2024 season (or beyond)? Justin Jefferson still hasn't signed an extension either. And on the whole, this is a roster that needs a good bit of overhauling with a host of aging veterans who potentially need to be moved on from.
All of this is even clearer after Week 18. The Vikings were already eliminated from the playoffs going into the final week of the regular season, which stings more keenly a year after Minnesota finished at 13-4 and captured the NFC North -- even if they were upset in the wild card round to begin a year of disappointment.
This season, it wasn't entirely the fault of the Vikings, who may well have made the playoffs if Cousins hadn't gone down with a season-ending torn Achilles. That, however, only raises further questions about what Minnesota should do with Cousins, who is set to hit free agency this offseason.
Frankly, we can't adequately answer that question right now as it pertains to Cousins. So we're not including him among players who won't be back for the Vikings in 2024, at least not yet. Instead, let's take a look at four other players who will be playing somewhere other than Minnesota next season.
4. K.J. Osborn, WR
A fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft from the Miami Hurricanes, K.J. Osborn has played a meaningful role in the Vikings offense for the last three seasons after not playing as a rookie, albeit without ever having eye-popping production.
Osborn racked up 655 and 650 receiving yards in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, respectively, while combining for 12 touchdowns over those two campaigns. Missing one game for the first time when he's been on the active roster coming into a season in 2023, he still put forth a solid effort with 46 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns.
With his contract set to expire and the wide receiver scheduled to become a free agent in the 2024 offseason, reading the tea leaves will tell you that it's unlikely that Osborn will be returning.
The most telling tea leaves date back to the trade deadline this year. Osborn was a player who was reportedly garnering league-wide interest and the Vikings were listening to offers. Ultimately, a deal wasn't made but that likely means two things. First, there should be a relatively competitive market for Osborn in free agency given that teams were inquiring about a trade. And second, the Vikings listened to trade offers because they may be unlikely to re-sign him on the open market.
Assuming the Vikings commit a long-term extension to Justin Jefferson, that will give them a core of Jefferson and Jordan Addison to build around. If Osborn indeed leaves, the depth will have to be replenished, but as priorities go, it's hard to imagine that the young receiver coming off of his rookie deal will be one of them.