Eric Wilson is an off-the-ball linebacker who delivered a career year for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025, the team where his NFL journey began.
Eric Wilson entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati and bounced around before finding a home back in Minnesota. Under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, he turned into one of the most productive inside linebackers in football in 2025. The Vikings re-signed him in 2026 after his breakout.
Path to the league
Wilson signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati following the 2017 Draft. He earned playing time over the years with the Vikings and other stops before returning to Minnesota to revive his career.
2025 season
Wilson posted the best season of his career in 2025, recording 115 tackles, 6.5 sacks and four forced fumbles across 16 starts in Flores' defense. Reporting noted he led all off-the-ball linebackers in total quarterback pressures (37) and sacks (6.5) while ranking second in forced fumbles, playing roughly 90 percent of the snaps for one of the league's better defenses.
Career highlights
Following his standout campaign, the Vikings re-signed Wilson in March 2026 to a reported three-year, $22.5 million deal that included $12.5 million fully guaranteed, rewarding a player who began as an undrafted rookie.
Sources
- Vikings.com: 2025 Position Recap, Inside Linebackers
- ESPN: Eric Wilson player page
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
17 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | vikings | 17 | 115 | 60 | 6.5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | packers | 17 | 72 | 38 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 | packers | 17 | 31 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | packers | 13 | 17 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | eagles | 7 | 43 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | texans | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2021 Totals | 14 | 46 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | vikings | 16 | 122 | 62 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 2019 | vikings | 16 | 62 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | vikings | 16 | 41 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | vikings | 16 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Cincinnati
- Hometown
- Redford, MI, USA
- Age
- 31
- Status
- active
