After the firing/scapegoating of former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has an extra layer of pressure on him this season. Entering his fifth season, he is without a playoff win, and he no longer has the crutch of blaming Adofo-Mensah for a roster that can't get that done.
But in reverse Bret Saberhagen style, when the former major league pitcher was in his prime, the Vikings have made the playoffs in even-numbered seasons under O'Connell with at least 13 wins in both of them up to this point.
Of course, the stakes for this season, and pressure to some extent, also extend to Minnesota players on a personal level. Every team has a number of players who are entering the final year of their contract, but the list of notable Vikings who are is significantly lengthy.
A contract extension for right tackle Brian O'Neill seems inevitable, so he won't make this list. Otherwise, here are 10 Vikings players who are playing for a contract in 2026.
10 Minnesota Vikings playing for a new contract in the 2026 season
10. Blake Cashman - ILB
Blake Cashman has been as impactful as any Minnesota defender over the last two seasons, with noticeable on-off splits. Of course, that also signals that he has been absent enough for those splits to be noticeable, and indeed he has missed seven games over the last two campaigns.
A 30-year-old linebacker with a tendency to miss some time is not an ideal-looking multi-year investment. The Vikings also devoted some resources to off-ball linebackers this offseason, signing Eric Wilson to a notable contract and taking Jake Golday in the second round of April's NFL Draft.
Cashman would have to be replaced as the "green dot" guy for Brian Flores, and that should not be discounted in importance. But things are aligning for him to play out his third and final season in Purple before finding a new place to ply his trade. Another highly productive season would line him for another notable dip into the open market.
9. Jalen Redmond - DT
Jalen Redmond had a breakthrough campaign in 2025, with six sacks, as PFF also graded him as a top-20 defensive tackle in the league.
Redmond will be a restricted free agent next March, but there may be a team out there that's willing to give him a noteworthy contract tender in an effort to pry him away.
Of course, that would depend on him having another nice season in 2026, but that's absolutely a possibility.
Whether a multi-year deal eventually comes from the Vikings or not, Redmond needs to show last season was not a fluke. If he does, he will be rewarded.
8. Blake Brandel - OL
Blake Brandel is set to be the Vikings' starting center this season. While that might not sound ideal at first blush, he started seven games there last season, and he was mostly pretty good.
Of course, Brandel started games at two other positions last season, and his versatility is noteworthy. Whether he is able to fully assert himself as a capable starting center or not, he could find a solid payday next March.
Ideally, for himself and perhaps Minnesota, Brandel will show himself to be a top-tier center this season. That would better path a path to a second nice multi-year deal and give the Vikings a multi-year answer at an important offensive line spot.
7. Jauan Jennings - WR
Jauan Jennings' rumored contract demands ultimately pushed him to be available for the Vikings to sign in early May. Getting a one-year, $8 million deal, with incentives that can add up to $5 million, should also give him plenty of motivation this season.
There is the question of how much raw production Jennings can have as Minnesota's WR3 to boost his stock heading toward 2027 free agency.
But he should at least be a prominent red-zone target for whoever the starting quarterback is, and we know he'll be a fierce run blocker. Teams will notice those things, and he won't need 100 catches to prove his value.
Jennings surely learned something from his first foray into free agency. A second chance at hitting the market should go better.
6. Andrew Van Ginkel - EDGE
Andrew Van Ginkel is basically irreplaceable as a versatile piece of Brian Flores' defense, with pass rush prowess and coverage instincts in equal spades. He was rightly rewarded with a one-year contract extension after his first year in Minnesota, but then he missed some time last season.
The bare facts are this. Van Ginkel is entering his age-31 season, coming off a season where he missed five games. There were no real signs of decline last year, but the physical wall can come quickly when someone is on the wrong side of 30.
It's also fair to say Van Ginkel is uniquely valuable to the Vikings/Flores, and the broader market for his services might not be robust if he gets to free agency next March. In any case, a fully healthy 2026 season will go a long way to getting him what may be one last big bite at the contract apple.
5. Jordan Mason - RB
By numbers and the eye test, Jordan Mason should clearly be the Vikings' No. 1 running back over Aaron Jones. That needs to happen in full this season, as Mason's warts as a pass blocker don't have to be tough to navigate.
Barring a potential extension from Minnesota in the meantime, Mason would hit the free agent market at 27 years old next March. While that would ordinarily mean he's getting toward the end of his useful time as a running back, he is also entering his fifth NFL season with fewer than 400 career carries.
Jones deserves a mention here after being brought back this offseason, and he's also entering a contract year. But there's more at stake contract-wise for Mason in 2026, so he gets the nod.
4. T.J. Hockenson - TE
T.J. Hockenson was expected to be a cap casualty this offseason. Instead, he was brought back on a revised contract that also made this year the final year of the pact.
Hockenson's production has not been the same since his ACL tear late in the 2023 season. His responsibilities in the offense also changed last season, forcing him to help out as a blocker more than he ever had before in his career.
The arrival of Kyler Murray as the presumptive starting quarterback for Minnesota should be great for Hockenson. If he's going to cash in, notably a second time in his career, he needs to find a groove with whoever is under center.
3. Isaiah Rodgers - CB
Highlighted by a performance PFF could not ignore in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Isaiah Rodgers had a nice first season as a Viking in 2025. Years of adoration from Flores was the driving force that brought him to Minnesota in the first place, and he delivered.
A lack of proven cornerback depth makes Rodgers a critical player for the Vikings this year. If he can show that last season is a sustainable performance level for him, he would be in line for a nice multi-year deal from someone.
Minnesota could take care of contract extension business with Rodgers at some point soon. But the better play might be to see what he does during the season before making a commitment.
2. Jordan Addison - WR
The Vikings made the expected move to pick up Jordan Addison's fifth-year option this offseason. It seems they want to get him signed to a contract extension, but a rising market at the position would likely make it untenable to pay two wide receivers so handsomely.
Of course, we have to mention Addison's history of off-field headlines when we talk about his future contract prospects. Those things have already led to a suspension. That suspension also cost him the rest of the fully guaranteed money that existed in his rookie contract before the fifth-year option was picked up.
Addison should not lack motivation to prove he's worthy of a contract extension that'd likely land him just below the top tier of wide receivers in annual value. Layered into that is simply avoiding the off-field things that have likely already impacted his future earnings potential.
1. Kyler Murray - QB
Circumstances aligned to allow the Vikings to sign Kyler Murray for the veteran's minimum, with the Arizona Cardinals paying most of his 2026 money. Minnesota is also the best overall situation he has had in his career, with the stakes as high as can be.
Murray ostensibly has to beat out J.J. McCarthy during training camp. If he is somehow unable to overcome the inevitability that he'll be named the starter, that will say it all.
If/when he is named the starting quarterback, Murray will be looking to repeat what Sam Darnold did under Kevin O'Connell's tutelage. Darnold got a three-year deal from the Seattle Seahawks in 2025 free agency after a big season with the Vikings in 2024. We'll set the Super Bowl ring thing, as Darnold did in Year 1 elsewhere, aside as something Murray could repeat.
If Murray can re-establish himself as a top-tier quarterback this season, he will be rewarded with a notable contract. The bigger question would then be whether the Vikings pony up or if another team does.
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