Eric Wilson made his way back to Minnesota after nearly five years away, becoming a starter once again. The veteran linebacker will see that second stint continue.
The Vikings are re-signing Wilson just before free agency, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. Wilson agreed to a three-year, $22.5MM deal that includes $12.5MM fully guaranteed. The 10th-year NFL veteran had previously returned to the Twin Cities on a one-year, $2.6MM deal. After years on similar contracts, Wilson will see the best contract of his career at 31.
This represents a borderline remarkable resurgence for Wilson, who has never previously played for anything more than $3.26MM in a season. That was via a second-round Vikings RFA tender in 2020. Wilson signed a host of one-year contracts in the time since, being cut by the Eagles and claimed by the Texans before enjoying a Packers stint. The Vikings brought him back in 2025 and turned to the Mike Zimmer-era acquisition as a near-full-time starter.
Wilson’s 965 defensive snaps last season were by far his most since that 2020 RFA slate. Minnesota used the former UDFA alongside Minneapolis-area native Blake Cashman as its primary linebacking duo last season. Wilson replaced an injured Cashman after Week 1 but kept the job when the regular starter returned, reducing Ivan Pace‘s role. Pro Football Focus slotted Wilson 44th among 88 qualified off-ball ‘backers.mike
Asked to start 12 games for the 2024 Packers, Wilson was used as a role player (51% snap rate). As a 90% defender in 2025, Wilson made 115 tackles and offered the Vikings a strong blitzing option in registering a career-best 6.5 sacks. More impressively, Wilson came through with 17 tackles for loss. That not only led all off-ball LBs in 2025, it ranked sixth among all players last season. That performance secured the Cincinnati alum a sizable raise, as he joins Cashman on veteran deals at linebacker for the Vikes.
The Zimmer-Rick Spielman duo added Wilson as a 2017 UDFA, and he logged 10 starts during the Anthony Barr–Eric Kendricks years from 2017-19. In 2020, however, Minnesota gave Wilson the aforementioned RFA tender and used him as a full-timer. In 15 starts that year, Wilson racked up 122 tackles. But it led to modest free agency interest. The Eagles cut Wilson months after giving him a one-year deal worth less ($2.75MM) than his 2020 tender price. Wilson’s three Packers contracts did not eclipse $1.5MM for a season, making this early-30s comeback all the more impressive. With Brian Flores returning — on a top-market coordinator salary — he appears set to count on Wilson once again.