The undefeated Minnesota Vikings may look into acquiring Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. before the NFL trade deadline as the Buccaneers struggle through a difficult start.
The Vikings stand at 5-0 while the Buccaneers sit at 1-5 and last in the NFC South. That contrast has fueled speculation about possible sellers in Tampa Bay.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic wrote that Minnesota should consider available options at safety.
“Taking a swing will be worth a conversation if players such as Antoine Winfield Jr. or Budda Baker are available,” Lewis wrote. “The Vikings would also be smart to think about a contingency plan for Smith in the form of an elite player with blitzing savvy and presnap deciphering chops.”
Winfield Jr., 28, has started all 89 of his career games since the Buccaneers selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Minnesota. He has recorded 561 combined tackles, 18 sacks, 13 forced fumbles and nine interceptions.
He earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023 and Pro Bowl selections after the 2021 and 2025 seasons. Those production numbers have made him one of the more versatile defensive backs in the league.
Winfield is currently sidelined with a rib fracture that coach Todd Bowles said would keep him out two to four weeks. He was ruled out of Tampa Bay’s Week 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers after recording 24 tackles and one forced fumble in four games this season.
His four-year, $84.1 million contract carries an average annual value of about $21.025 million. Spotrac lists his 2026 salary-cap number near $27.5 million with a base salary of $19.5 million and limited remaining guarantees after this year.
The high cap figure and recent injury could lower the asking price for a contending team willing to absorb the deal. A mid-round draft pick has been mentioned in some discussions as a possible return for the Buccaneers during a lost season.
Winfield’s father, Antoine Winfield Sr., spent nine seasons with the Vikings after arriving via free agency in 2004. The elder Winfield made three Pro Bowls in Minnesota and was named one of the franchise’s 50 greatest players during the team’s 50th-anniversary celebration in 2010.
The younger Winfield played college football at Minnesota and spent part of his childhood around the franchise. Those ties could ease a transition if a trade materializes.
Lewis also listed Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, as another potential target. Baker, 30, has been used in multiple roles throughout his career and could fill a similar versatile need.
Harrison Smith, 37, has seen his role reduced this season. He has played roughly 48 percent of defensive snaps and posted a Pro Football Focus grade of 31.5 that ranked last among qualifying safeties through five weeks.
Minnesota’s defense ranks among the league’s best under coordinator Brian Flores, yet the safety position has drawn the most questions. Adding a proven playmaker could provide both short-term help and a longer-term option once Smith’s career ends.
Any deal would still require the Buccaneers to decide that parting with a still-productive player makes financial and football sense. With the Nov. 10 deadline approaching, the Vikings have time to gauge interest while Winfield continues his recovery.
