Vikings legend Jim Marshall died on Tuesday, at the age of 87. In a video posted earlier today, Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton remembered Marshall and his impact on the franchise.
“My great friend and teammate Jim Marshall died yesterday,” Tarkenton said. “1961 was the first year of the Minnesota Vikings, long time ago. And on that team was Jim Marshall and Fran Tarkenton. He was the greatest leader in football that I’ve ever played with. In all the years of the Vikings, from 1961 to now, there’s never been a player-leader like Jim Marshall.
“He’s the face of the Vikings. He’s the soul of the Vikings. He played in Minnesota eighteen . . . years. He never missed a practice. He never missed a game. He was the ultimate defensive end. He played with strength and smarts. . . . He never had a bad day. I never saw him angry. He just made his teammates better. . . . He’s the ultimate role model.
“I didn’t think that he would ever die. I guess I was wrong. But he will be alive in the heart and soul of everybody who’s come by him. Rest in peace, my friend. You set the standards. The Vikings would never be anything like they are without you.”
For those of us who discovered football in the ‘70s, Marshall was a god among men. A man who seemed to be indestructible.
It’s easy to understand why Fran didn’t think Marshall would ever die. He seemed larger than life. He was larger than life, especially for kids like me who were indoctrinated into the game by the slow-motion images captured by NFL Films and presented with striking and memorable voices belonging to the likes of John Facenda and Harry Kalas.
Fifty years ago, the NFL sold itself as modern-day mythology. And it worked, incredibly well.
Especially as to Jim Marshall and the rest of the Purple People Eaters defense.
Vikings legend Jim Marshall has died. He was 87.
A fourth-round pick of the Browns in 1960, Marshall was traded to the expansion Vikings in 1961. He played there through 1979, until he was days from turning 42.
He started 270 straight games in Minnesota, a record for a defensive player and a record run for any player with one team. Only quarterback Brett Favre (297) started more games in a row.
Along the way, he was a member of four Vikings Super Bowl teams. And he was part of the Purple People Eaters defensive front, along with Gary Larsen, Hall of Famer Alan Page, and Hall of Famer Carl Eller.
The Vikings retired Marshall’s No. 70 and placed him in the team’s Ring of Honor.
Marshall’s most memorable on-field moment came in 1964. In a game against the 49ers, Marshall recovered a fumble by San Francisco running back Billy Kilmer and ran the wrong way, 66 yards to his own end zone. When he tossed the ball out of bounds in celebration, the end result was a safety.
That play came after Marshall had forced a fumble that was returned by Eller for a 45-yard touchdown, giving Minnesota a 10-point lead, 27-17. The Vikings held on to win the game, 27-22.
Marshall has not been inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2023, he was one of 31 under consideration by the Seniors Committee. He was not included in the final list of 12.
We extend our condolences to Marshall’s family, friends, and teammates.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said recently that it has “been huge” to have wide receiver Justin Jefferson at offseason workouts because it shows other players that if “one of the best in the world at what he does, is pushing himself in May and June, I sure as heck better be doing the same thing.”
On Monday, Jefferson agreed that he has “some type of influence” on the team, but that’s not the only reason why he’s been around this spring. The Vikings are preparing quarterback J.J. McCarthy to be their starting quarterback and Jefferson said he’s “trying to learn every bit I can” about his teammate. One thing that he’s learned is that McCarthy is settling into his new role.
“He understands the role that he has now,” Jefferson said, via Emily Leiker of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “He understands he is the starting quarterback at this moment. I feel like he kind of brings that with him to practice, knowing that he has to have that leadership. He’s the captain of our team.”
The Jefferson-McCarthy partnership will be vital to the Vikings’ success on the field in 2025. The offseason portion of that process ends soon, but the work will continue throughout training camp and the preseason.
The Saints are taking a look at a veteran defender.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, New Orleans is hosting defensive end Jonathan Bullard for a free-agent visit on Monday.
Bullard, 31, had spent the last three seasons with the Vikings. In 2024, he started all 17 games, recording 41 total tackles with seven for loss, three QB hits, and one sack. He was on the field for 51 percent of the club’s defensive snaps.
Bullard previously played under New Orleans defensive coordinator Brandon Staley early on in his career with the Bears from 2017-2018.
In 116 career games with 53 starts, Bullard has recorded 221 total tackles with 6.5 sacks.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell is the winner of the 2025 Horrigan Award, the Pro Football Writers of America announced Friday.
The Horrigan Award is given to the league or club official for his or her qualities and professional style in helping the pro football writers do their job.
O’Connell was recognized for his openness and helpfulness with reporters. He routinely gives one-on-one interviews, meets regularly with beat writers for off-the-record discussions, provides thoughtful explanations for his decisions after games, and he creates an environment where both players and assistant coaches feel free to tell their stories.
O’Connell, the 53rd Horrigan Award winner, is the first member of the Vikings franchise to receive the award. He is the first head coach to win the Horrigan since Ron Rivera with the Commanders in 2023.
Other 2025 nominees for the Horrigan Award were Rams president Kevin Demoff, 49ers General Manager John Lynch, NFL VP of communications Brian McCarthy and NFL EVP of football operations Troy Vincent.
Jack Horrigan was a sportswriter for UPI and the Buffalo Evening News, public relations director for the American Football League (1963-66) and vice president of public relations for the Buffalo Bills (1966-73). Joe Horrigan is in his 46th year with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame’s current senior advisor was executive director (2017-19), executive vice president of museums, selection process and chief communications officer (2014-17) and vice president, communications and exhibits (1996-2014).
