2026 NFL free agency kicks off next week for the Minnesota Vikings and the rest of the league with the legal tampering period beginning on Monday, and it's one of the most exciting times of the NFL calendar year.
Teams will be bidding against each other to improve the perceived weak spots on their rosters with players who they believe can fix those holes.
The Vikings have added a handful of players over the last couple of years, and some of the new faces, such as Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Byron Murphy, have become fixtures.
While the new faces grab the headlines and generate the most fan excitement, it's also a time when old faces can make their return to the Purple.
We saw this a year ago when Eric Wilson unexpectedly signed with the Vikings and then went on to have the best season of his career.
There are plenty of former Vikings who are free agents this offseason, and here are three who could return for their second stints in Minnesota.
3 former Minnesota Vikings who could return in 2026
D.J. Wonnum - EDGE
2025 Team: Carolina Panthers
Adding an edge rusher isn't among the top of the Vikings' needs, but if Jonathan Greenard gets traded, it quickly ascends that list.
While the team is okay at the top in that scenario, with Dallas Turner and Van Ginkel as the starters, depth will be needed, and adding a veteran pass rusher would be a smart move. That route could lead to a former Minnesota player returning home, and that is D.J. Wonnum.
Wonnum was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Vikings. He found himself in a situational role from the start and had three sacks in his rookie season.
He ended up developing into a very solid pass rusher for the Vikings, and by the time his rookie contract was up, he had amassed 23 sacks for the Purple.
He was expected to get a big payday in free agency, but suffered a torn quad late in the 2023 season, which cost him a lot of money and also the first eight games of his career with the Panthers. Wonnum was able to overcome that injury and went on to have seven sacks in the last two years in Carolina.
Wonnum now enters free agency for the second timespo and is expected to land a contract in that $5-$6 million a year range.
The Vikings should be able to afford that, and adding an edge rusher who has already flourished in Brian Flores's system makes a ton of sense. A pass-rushing trio of Van Ginkel, Turner, and Wonnum, with the added draft compensation in a Greenard trade, would look pretty nice on paper for Minnesota.
Vederian Lowe - OT
2025 Team: New England Patriots
Some might not even remember Vederian Lowe being a member of the Vikings, and that's probably because he was a fifth-round pick in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's first draft with Minnesota in 2022 and made little impact.
Lowe appeared in four games in his rookie season with the Vikings and went into his second year with the team as a player on the bubble with a slim chance to make the final 53-man roster.
But before he got a chance to earn his spot, Minnesota made a trade that sent him to the New England Patriots for a sixth-round draft pick.
Like a lot of offensive linemen who leave the Vikings for a new team, Lowe got better. Due to necessity, he was made a starter and had some pretty solid performances bouncing between the left and right sides.
Lowe appeared in 42 games for the Patriots and started 25. He developed into a dependable swing tackle and a valuable depth piece. To his credit, he even caught a touchdown pass.
An underrated need for Minnesota this offseason is a backup offensive tackle. Justin Skule is a free agent, and Walter Rouse never seems to be active on game day. They do have Blake Brandel, but he is also a primary backup at guard and center, and could even end up starting at that aforementioned position next season.
They need someone they can rely on if Christian Darrisaw or O'Neill goes down, and Lowe could return to the Vikings and fill that role at a team-friendly price.
Kirk Cousins - QB
2025 Team: Atlanta Falcons
While the recent scuttlebutt points to Kyler Murray becoming Minnesota's next quarterback, Kirk Cousins' name will always be in the mix as long as he's available.
The fit makes a ton of sense on paper. Cousins knows the system, a lot of the players on offense, and is good pals with Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
He loved living in Minnesota and has been open about a return. He would also be an ideal mentor to J.J. McCarthy, as he's been around the league forever and does a great job breaking down defenses, as he's shown in his TV appearances and guest spots as an analyst.
Cousins also finished his 2026 season on a high note, helping the Falcons finish with four straight wins and throwing for 876 yards and eight touchdowns in that span.
If he were to re-sign with the Vikings, it would likely result in a true competition in training camp this summer with McCarthy, and with a good offensive line and a strong defense, Cousins could potentially lead Minnesota to a playoff run next season.
There's a strong contingency opposed to bringing Cousins back to the Vikings. It isn't just fans or those in the media, though. A handful of former players, including John Randle and Jared Allen, have publicly expressed their trepidation about Cousins returning, saying that's a road Minnesota has been down before.
He's a polarizing player, but one who could still have one good season left in him, and there's a strong chance that his final hurrah could involve a return to the Vikings.