Dumped by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Josh Freeman had no shortage of interested teams that wanted to bring him aboard.
Debate: What's the Vikings' plan?
After surveying the field, Freeman decided to join the Minnesota Vikings.
Mike Florio broke the news on NBC late Sunday, and Freeman's agent quickly confirmed it on Twitter. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported the quarterback received a one-year contract worth around $3 million, according to a source informed of the deal.
It's a stunning fall from grace for Christian Ponder, whom the Vikings spoke so highly of all offseason. Ponder missed Week 4's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers with a rib injury, and now he might wind up watching most of the season from the bench.
"We are always looking to add good players to our roster, and I think we have done that with Josh," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said, according to the Star Tribune.
Freeman reportedly attracted interest from Buffalo, where he could have started for at least a few weeks. NFL Media columnist Michael Silver reported that Freeman also would have been the starter had he landed with the Oakland Raiders.
Instead, Freeman chose the Vikings. That leads us to believe Freeman will be starting in Minnesota as soon as he can pick up the playbook. He'll help stretch the field and ideally relieve pressure for Adrian Peterson.
Minnesota only trails Green Bay, Chicago and Detroit by one loss in the NFC North. This one-year deal isn't about the future. It's about Vikings general manager Rick Spielman trying to save this season. It's about trying to save jobs.
The organization clearly decided that Ponder wasn't the man to get it done.
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