For the Minnesota Vikings, the 2025 season didn't come anywhere close to meeting the expectations that the team had heading into their Week 1 matchup with the Chicago Bears back in September.
After winning 14 games last season, most assumed the Vikings would at least find a way to sneak back into the playoffs in 2025. But that isn't what happened, and now Minnesota has the next several months to figure out what they need to do in order to make sure they get back to the postseason in 2026.
A large priority for the Vikings this offseason will have to do with sorting out their salary cap situation. Currently, OverTheCap.com projects Minnesota to be more than $38 million over the salary cap in 2026, which means that the team is going to have to move on from some high-priced veterans who are still under contract for next season.
Who might some of these cap casualties be, in addition to some of the notable free agents that the Vikings will probably let walk out the door this year?
7 players who definitely won't be returning to the Minnesota Vikings for the 2026 season
Jalen Nailor - WR
In the final year of his rookie contract with Minnesota, Jalen Nailor put together the best single season of his career. In 17 appearances for the Vikings in 2025, Nailor caught 29 passes for 444 yards and four touchdowns.
The 26-year-old wide receiver will now become a free agent this offseason, and he's likely going to have a bunch of interest from teams around the NFL looking for a solid No. 2 pass-catcher.
After selecting Tai Felton in last year's NFL Draft, it doesn't make much sense for Minnesota to re-sign Nailor this offseason, especially with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison also still sitting at the top of the team's wide receiver depth chart.
Aaron Jones - RB
Following a very productive 2024 season, the Vikings decided to re-sign Aaron Jones to a new two-year deal last March with the hopes that he would be able to perform at a similar level this season and in 2026.
Well, Jones' production hit a massive wall in 2025 (only 747 total yards), and he missed multiple games due to injury.
The 31-year-old playmaker is currently scheduled to have the third-highest cap hit among NFL running backs in 2026 at $14.8 million, and Minnesota can free-up $8 million in cap space by cutting him this offseason.
Unless Jones is willing to take a significant pay cut to stick around, the decision seems pretty easy for the Vikings when it comes to figuring out what to do with him this year.
Jeff Okudah - CB
As a former top-five overall draft selection, Minnesota was hoping that Jeff Okudah could get closer to reaching his full potential under the direction of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Instead, multiple concussions limited Okudah to just six appearances with Minnesota in 2025, and even when he was on the field, his performance was very underwhelming, as opposing quarterbacks had a 146.5 passer rating when throwing in his direction.
Okudah will be a free agent when the new league year begins in March, and it would be incredibly shocking if the Vikings brought him back.
Justin Skule - OT
In the first two weeks of the season, Minnesota left tackle Christian Darrisaw remained on the sideline as he continued to recover from a torn ACL. In his place, the Vikings went with Justin Skule at left tackle in Weeks 1 and 2, and it turned out to be a terrible decision.
During those first two matchups, Skule gave up a total of seven pressures and three sacks, according to data from PFF. Overall, in 2025, he allowed 30 pressures and seven sacks in nine starts at both left tackle and right tackle for Minnesota.
Luckily, the Vikings only signed Skule to a one-year contract last March, so he will be a free agent this offseason, and it seems pretty safe to say he won't be back in purple and gold for the 2026 campaign.
Ty Chandler - RB
Along with Nailor, Ty Chandler is one of only two players from Minnesota's infamous 2022 draft class to remain with the team for his entire rookie contract.
That's as far as Chandler will likely get in his career with the Vikings, though, as he's scheduled to become a free agent this year, and after only appearing in three games this season, re-signing him isn't exactly going to be a high priority for the team.
Javon Hargrave - DL
Less than a year ago, Javon Hargrave was a notable part of a group of free agents Minnesota brought in with the hope that they would have a similar impact on the team that the players they added in free agency in 2024 had.
Hargrave was solid for the Vikings this season, but he also has a $21.5 million cap hit for 2026, and for a team that is going to be in desperate need of cap space this offseason, freeing up $11 million in spending money by cutting a 32-year-old defensive lineman seems like a decision that will likely be made.
Ryan Kelly - C
If Ryan Kelly wants to continue his NFL career in 2026, that's up to him, but it shouldn't be with the Vikings.
Kelly suffered three concussions this season, and after 10 years in the league, retirement should be a serious consideration for him this offseason.
Even if he doesn't decide to retire, Minnesota would likely still just release him since it would free up $8.75 million in cap space that they are going to badly need this year.