Report: Minneapolis, Vikings aiming to host the 2029 NFL draft

The 2026 draft is in Pittsburgh, but host cities for 2027 and beyond are unknown.

Fans look on as Cam Ward is announced as the first pick during the first day of the NFL Draft presented by Bud Light at the Draft Theater Thursday, April 24, 2025, outside of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. / Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After more than 600,000 people attended the three-day NFL draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, it appears that the Minnesota Vikings and City of Minneapolis would like to host the event in the not-too-distant future.

"Speaking of the draft, 2029, that is the aim for the Vikings hosting the draft in downtown Minneapolis," said KSTP-TV's Darren Wolfson on Tuesday's Mackey & Judd Show. "The Vikings are pushing very hard. 2029. It wouldn't' be in Eagan. My understanding is it would be in downtown Minneapolis."

The only future NFL draft with a known location is in 2026 when Pittsburgh serves as host. It's also been reported that Washington, D.C. and Denver have submitted bids to host the draft in 2027.

"Kansas City has had one. Detroit, right? Green Bay. The Vikings are like, 'OK, it's our turn.' The aim, though, is 2029," Wolfson said. "I don't know exactly when the Vikings will find out officially if they land the 2029 draft, but that is the target."

Hosting the draft could provide an economic boom to the Twin Cities. The draft in Green Bay was projected to fuel $20 million into Green Bay's local economy and $94 million throughout Wisconsin, but economic impact values won't be known until sometime in June, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

The NFL stopped holding the draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City after the 2015 event. Since then, the draft has been held in Chicago (twice), Philadelphia, Arlington, Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Detroit, and Green Bay.

To host the draft, cities have to submit a bid and then have the bid selected via a vote by the 32 NFL owners.

Minneapolis successfully hosted the Super Bowl in 2018 despite a frigid airmass swallowing Minnesota in early February. Brutal cold wouldn't be a problem for the draft in late April in the Twin Cities.

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