Let's rewind real quick.
Twenty-five years ago, the Billboard Hot 100 was frontloaded with songs by Faith Hill, Santana and Destiny's Child. Mission: Impossible 2 was the highest-grossing film, and Gladiator won "Best Picture" (and Russell Crowe "Best Actor") at the Academy Awards. The reality competitive television show Survivor premiered.
A lot has changed in the time since – but a good amount has stayed the same.
In recognition of the quarter century, ESPN last week released its ultimate 53-man roster, stating cases for the most dominant NFL players, by their standards, of the past 25 years. It features four retired Vikings Legends and an active player that's rewritten history and is well on his way to all-time greatness.
The roster, which includes a head coach and three coordinators, was formulated by ESPN statistic junkies and de facto general managers Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder. They decided on 25 offensive players, 23 defensive players and five special teams players, in addition to filling out a practice squad with guys who just missed the cut. Another important note: Only player production beginning in 2000 was considered.
Without further ado, here's the lowdown on Minnesota's representatives.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss and 26-year-old phenom Justin Jefferson make up a third of Schatz's and Walder's picks at wide receiver. They're joined by Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Terrell Owens and Marvin Harrison. Antonio Brown and Andre Johnson were "cut" and reverted to the practice squad.
Schatz wrote the following of Moss, a three-time All-Pro with 12,566 receiving yards and 128 touchdowns from 2000-12. Moss wore the Purple at the inception of his career (1998-2004) and again in 2010:
The greatest receiver of the 21st Century based on the eye test, Moss also dominated in advanced metrics. He set the NFL record with 23 receiving touchdowns in 2007, a season that ranks third all-time in FTN's DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement) metric. Moss ranked No. 1 in receiving DYAR three times: 2000, 2003 and 2007. In each of those seasons, he had at least 1,400 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. He is also the leader in total receiving value by DYAR whether you add together a player's top five seasons or top 10 seasons since 2000. Plus, he's a legend of the podium interview.
Jefferson, of course, lacks the longevity of his peers, but his performance rivals any single one of them.
Schatz highlighted that when "Jets" claimed Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2022, he ranked first in the NFL in receptions, yards and DYAR. Beyond that, Jefferson has finished in the top three for DYAR in three other seasons (2020, 2021 and 2024), and compiled 1,400 or more receiving yards in each of them.
In the trenches, Schatz and Walder identified former Vikings interior offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson as one of the top two left guards of the past 25 years, and touted Hutchinson's teammate for four seasons and recently elected Pro Football Hall of Famer Jared Allen as one of the four best edge rushers.
Hutchinson played half of his career with the Vikings (2006-11) and made seven straight Pro Bowls starting in 2003 while with the Seahawks. He keyed o-lines for two separate franchises that advanced to NFC Championship Games – he went as far as Super Bowl XL with Seattle – and was selected to the HOF All-2000s team.
Allen is set to join Hutchinson in football immortality this summer. He complemented fantastic production with a genuinely fun-to-watch demeanor on the field.
Walder called attention to Allen's peak – 22 sacks in 2011 – and supplemental résumé.
Allen hit double-digit sacks eight times and tallied the fourth-most sacks in our time span. He also ranks fourth among edge players (if we include J.J. Watt) in total plus-EPA since 2001 — a measure where defenders who are on the field for positive defensive plays are credited with the resulting EPA.
Hutchinson is accompanied at left guard by Alan Faneca, whereas Allen is listed alongside Demarcus Ware, Myles Garrett and Julius Peppers; T.J. Watt and Michael Strahan carved out practice squad roles.
The last former Viking to earn a seat at the quarter-century table had a brief but productive stint in Minnesota: cornerback Patrick Peterson. After a stellar run on the Cardinals, Peterson swapped extremes – the heat for the cold – and grew his fanbase by intercepting six passes over 30 games with the Vikings.
His second act solidified that even outside of his prime, Peterson had a penchant for playmaking. Darrelle Revis, Champ Bailey, Ronde Barber and Richard Sherman round out ESPN's cornerbacks room.
Check out the complete quarter-century team here to find out which other two former Vikings received practice squad designations, and which legendary skill player was bypassed, somehow, entirely.
Reaction to family treatment
We're sticking with ESPN to highlight another Vikings-centric story.
On Monday, Sarah Barshop explored how NFL teams are reacting to surveys on the treatment of families.
For three years, the NFLPA has shared report cards that grade clubs on topics ranging from facility conditions to cafeteria offerings and staff performance. One area that's sparked conversation, because there are wildly different standards existing across the league, is how teams treat players' families.
Minnesota is the gold standard in this space – and it's attracted back-to-back monster free agent hauls.
"The survey has had a major impact," said Vikings center Ryan Kelly, who signed with Minnesota via free agency this spring. "Because you're a guy looking for a new home, you've got kids, you have a family. It's like, 'What's the treatment like?' If you treat my family well, I'm going to be happier as a person, I'm going to be happier as a player, I'm going to be in a better mood, and we'll probably have more success."
When he arrived to ink his new deal in March, Kelly was blown away: "It didn't matter if it was my mom or my dad or my kids or a nanny, everybody felt the love, and that goes to show you it's a special place."
It's not only the initial impression, either, that's impacting Vikings players and their families, and consequently building a positive reputation that impending free agents are recognizing each cycle.
Take running back Aaron Jones, Sr., as a prime example.
The ex-Packers running back signed with the team in March 2024 and agreed to an extension earlier this year partly because he was so fond of the culture – and the people helping him and his family thrive.
Barshop shared that on game days Jones knows his kids will be having a blast, and that although his 5-year-old gets very into the action on the field, it's sometimes difficult to pry him away from the stadium daycare, which features everything from face painting to a petting zoo and other activities.
While it's maybe inconsequential on the surface, Minnesota is leaning into a unique advantage.
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