Linebacker Eric Wilson is staying with the Minnesota Vikings, as the sides agreed to a three-year, $22.5 million contract Sunday ahead of NFL free agency, according to NFL Network.
The deal includes $12.5 million fully guaranteed.
Wilson, 31, had a career year in 2025 after returning to the Vikings, the team with which he had spent the first four years of his career. After signing him to a one-year deal worth $2.6 million, team officials penciled him for a significant special teams role. But he entered the starting lineup in Week 2 after Blake Cashman suffered a hamstring injury and then displaced fellow inside linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. when Cashman returned four games later.
Along the way, Wilson proved an exceptional fit for defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy scheme. He set career highs in starts (16), sacks (6.5) and forced fumbles (four), and had the NFL’s third-best pressure rate (15.3%) after Week 1.
Along the way, he continued to contribute to special teams, where he took 144 snaps and accounted for five tackles and one forced fumble.
Wilson originally signed with the Vikings as an undrafted rookie in 2017. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers after departing as a free agent. In nine NFL seasons, Wilson has started 55 games and recorded 515 tackles, 17.5 sacks and five interceptions.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.
