Vikings

Analysis: Which Vikings players are likely to stay or go this offseason?

The Vikings have a number of key decisions to make under Rob Brzezinski, who is leading the front office after General Manager Kwesi-Adofo Mensah was fired.

By Ben Goessling

The Minnesota Star Tribune

February 13, 2026 at 3:00PM

Vikings defensive linemen Jonathan Allen, left, and Javon Hargrave were key offseason acquisitions last year. Will either still be around next season? (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

After surrounding first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the NFL’s most expensive roster, only to go 9-8 and miss the playoffs, the Vikings enter the 2026 offseason with a general manager to hire, salary cap straits to navigate and a QB path to determine.

The Vikings made executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski their front office point person for the offseason after firing GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Jan. 30. While they consider candidates (possibly including Brzezinski) for the permanent job they expect to fill after the draft, they’ll face another offseason full of pivotal decisions.

The Vikings need to clear roughly $40 million in cap space by the start of free agency on March 11; they’ll likely need more than that to add a veteran quarterback who could either complement or compete with McCarthy.

They’re expected to have nine draft picks, including four in the first three rounds, where they could use young reinforcements in the secondary, along the defensive line and at running back.

Here’s a look at the key decisions the Vikings will have to make on their own roster before the start of the new league year:

Key free agents

LB Eric Wilson

2025 cap hit: $2.6 million

Eric Wilson. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Wilson might have had the best season of his career at age 31 after returning to the Vikings on a one-year deal that might have cost them a fifth-round compensatory pick for Daniel Jones. But after posting 115 tackles while setting career highs in sacks (6½) and forced fumbles (four), Wilson could be worth bringing back if the price is right. The Vikings could look for a younger, cheaper solution at the position, but Wilson’s experience provides some reliability in a defense that would lose a key voice if safety Harrison Smith retires.

OT Justin Skule

2025 cap hit: $2 million

Justin Skule. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Vikings turned to Skule more often than they expected, playing him 57.7% of the time on offense as left tackle Christian Darrisaw’s recovery from knee surgery stretched into the season. They’ll need a swing tackle, and could wind up choosing between Skule and Blake Brandel if there’s not another affordable option they like.

Related Coverage

P Ryan Wright

2025 cap hit: $1.75 million

Ryan Wright. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Wright had the best season of his career in 2025, earning a $250,000 bonus after finishing fourth in the league in net punting average. He’ll be in position for a raise, and the Vikings could approach him with a multiyear offer that nudges his pay north of $3 million per season.

QB Carson Wentz

2025 cap hit: $1.42 million

Carson Wentz. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

As the ethics of playing Wentz through his painful left shoulder injury became a topic of national discussion in October, sources said one of the reasons the quarterback carried no ill will toward the Vikings was because his stint as the team’s starter might help him earn a contract in 2026. Could that contract be with the Vikings? It’s possible, though the team might circle back to Wentz after considering its options at QB. Assuming Wentz, 33, plays in 2026, he’d likely do so on a one-year deal.

LS Andrew DePaola

2025 cap hit: $1.34 million

Andrew DePaola. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The four-time All-Pro will be 39 in July, but the Vikings are in no rush to change long snappers after six years of stability at the position. They’ll likely get a deal done with DePaola for the 2026 season that keeps him in Minnesota for a seventh year.

CB Fabian Moreau

2025 cap hit: $1.26 million

Fabian Moreau. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Moreau played a larger role for the Vikings toward the end of the season, logging 18.5% of their defensive snaps for the year. He’ll turn 32 in April, so the team will have to decide whether it wants to keep him on another one-year deal. It’s possible the Vikings would return to him later in the offseason if they don’t sign him immediately.

WR Jalen Nailor

2025 cap hit: $960,165

Jalen Nailor. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Nailor could be in line for a nice payday after catching 29 passes for 444 yards last season. The Vikings are aware they could lose him on the open market with the 2022 sixth-round pick seeking a multiyear deal. They’d love to have him back, but they may not be able to afford him given their cap constraints.

DT Jalen Redmond

2025 cap hit: $960,000

Jalen Redmond. (Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Redmond is an exclusive rights free agent after posting six sacks last season. Bringing him back on a $1.075 million tender will be one of the easiest decisions the Vikings have this offseason; they could look to sign him to a multiyear deal while the 26-year-old still has modest leverage.

LB Ivan Pace Jr.

2025 cap hit: $905,000

Ivan Pace Jr. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Pace will be a restricted free agent this spring. The fact he was an undrafted free agent means the Vikings would only get the right of first refusal, rather than draft pick compensation, if they place the low tender on him and he leaves in free agency. Given the fact the low tender is expected to be over $3.5 million, the team might pass on tendering a player whose role has decreased in Brian Flores’ defense.

Cut/trade/restructure candidates

DT Jonathan Allen

2026 cap hit: $23.87 million

Jonathan Allen. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Allen stayed healthy last season, playing nearly 76% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps while starting all 17 games. But he had just 3½ sacks and 11 quarterback hits in an underwhelming first year with the team. Cutting him before June 1 would only save the Vikings $6.53 million of cap space, while they’d incur $17.33 million of dead money. They’ll have to make a decision early in the offseason; the remaining $8 million of Allen’s base salary is guaranteed if he’s on the roster by the third day of the league year.

OLB Jonathan Greenard

2026 cap hit: $22.15 million

Jonathan Greenard. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Greenard is coming off shoulder surgery, and given how important he’s been to the Vikings’ defense, it seems unlikely the team would release him when he’s still only 28. They’d save $12.25 million if they released him before a $4 million base salary guarantee on March 13. Given the fact he’s got two void years on his deal, it’s possible the Vikings would convert part of his $18.39 million base salary into a signing bonus to lower his cap hit for 2026. Doing so would save them up to $12.96 million.

DT Javon Hargrave

2026 cap hit: $21.45 million

Javon Hargrave. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Vikings would save $10.45 million by cutting Hargrave, who might be one of their most likely release candidates. He played just 50.2% of their defensive snaps and posted only 3½ sacks last season after signing a two-year deal in March 2025.

TE T.J. Hockenson

2026 cap hit: $21.3 million

T.J. Hockenson. (Anthony Souffle/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Hockenson was briefly the NFL’s highest-paid tight end after signing his four-year extension in 2023, and his contract still ranks fourth in average annual value. He has $2.308 million that becomes guaranteed on March 15, and the Vikings could save $8.87 million by releasing him. Or they could save up to $9.46 million by converting his base salary to a signing bonus, using the 2028 void year they placed in the contract when they wrote it three years ago.

OLB Andrew Van Ginkel

2026 cap hit: $19.25 million

Andrew Van Ginkel. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Van Ginkel is a fixture in the Vikings’ defense and a critical piece in Flores’ scheme, so there’s little chance he’d be released in the final year of his deal. But his contract includes four void years, so if the Vikings wanted to restructure his $15.39 million base salary, they could defer up to $11.35 million of cap space into the future.

RB Aaron Jones Sr.

2026 cap hit: $14.55 million

Aaron Jones Sr. (Anthony Souffle/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

There’s little chance that Jones, 31, will play the 2026 season at that cap number, especially with only $2 million of guaranteed money. He has another $2 million set to become guaranteed on March 13, so the Vikings could restructure his contract before then. If they release Jones, they’ll save $7.75 million of cap space.

C Ryan Kelly

2026 cap hit: $11.72 million

Ryan Kelly (78). (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Vikings would save $8.75 million by releasing Kelly this spring; he has no guaranteed money left in his deal, so they could take their time if they wanted to gauge the market. Kelly’s concussion history could also lead him to consider retirement. The Vikings will likely be thinking about their future at the position even if Kelly, who turns 33 in May, decides he wants to return in 2026.

ILB Blake Cashman

2026 cap hit: $9.18 million

Blake Cashman. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Cashman will be 30 in May and has a base salary of $6.9 million, with three void years left in his deal after 2026. The Vikings could push some of that money into the future by converting Cashman’s salary into a signing bonus if they decide not to pursue a short-term extension with the linebacker.

OL Blake Brandel

2026 cap hit: $4.47 million

Blake Brandel. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Brandel’s price for 2026, in the final year of a deal the team gave him with hopes he’d become a starter, seems steep for a backup even if they appreciate his versatility. They’ll have to decide how much they value the swing lineman, with $3.8 million of cap relief available if they release him.

Extension candidates

OT Brian O’Neill

2026 cap hit: $23.12 million

Brian O'Neill. (Abbie Parr/The Associated Press)

O’Neill, who will be 31 in September, is entering the final year of an extension he signed in 2021. He’s a captain who plays through injuries, carries an important voice in the locker room and has earned deep respect from the coaching staff. The Vikings will have to weigh that against his health as they ponder an extension for the right tackle, but a new deal could provide some cap relief for the team while ensuring they’ve got a key piece of their offensive line for at least a few more years.

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about the writer

Ben Goessling

Minnesota Vikings beat reporter

Ben Goessling has covered the Vikings since 2012, first at the Pioneer Press and ESPN before becoming the Minnesota Star Tribune's lead Vikings reporter in 2017. He has won six honors from the AP Sports Editors and National Headliner Awards contests, and was named one of the top NFL beat writers by the Pro Football Writers of America in 2024.