The first days of training camp — regarded by veteran players as drudgery, and by fans as the start of a new year — have, in recent seasons, been a chance for the Vikings to bathe in the optimism of the moment by making grand pronouncements about their future.
Mike Zimmer’s first camp in 2014 brought a new deal for tight end Kyle Rudolph. The team announced a contract extension for kicker Blair Walsh on the first weekend of its 2015 camp. The 2016 camp started with a two-year extension for Zimmer. Their 2017 camp began with a flurry — new deals for Everson Griffen, Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph — and 2018 was highlighted by a five-year contract for Stefon Diggs.