Prior to the 2025 season, the Minnesota Vikings made the decision to spend a bunch of money in free agency in an effort to help them get over the hump that stood in their way during the 2024 campaign.
Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Allen, Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, and Isaiah Rodgers all benefited from Minnesota's spending spree, but unfortunately, not all of them were able to pay back the favor to the Vikings in 2025.
Hargrave and Allen were both released by Minnesota this past March, and both quickly landed new contracts with other teams. Allen will be suiting up for the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2026 campaign, while Hargrave opted to remain in the NFC North and sign with the rival Green Bay Packers.
Hargrave didn't live up to his expectations during his lone year with the Vikings, and recently, he was predicted as the Packers player most likely to be a bust in the upcoming season by Bleacher Report's Moe Moton.
"The Green Bay Packers signed Javon Hargrave to a two-year, $23 million deal, which would've been a solid signing three years ago. Over the last two seasons, the 33-year-old defensive tackle has missed 15 games and played only 53 percent of the Minnesota Vikings' defensive snaps last season.
The Packers grossly overpaid for a player they had seen twice the previous season. Green Bay filled a need by signing Hargrave, but he's well past his prime and has had minimal impact on the pass rush since his 2023 Pro Bowl campaign."
Former Minnesota Vikings DL Javon Hargrave predicted to be a bust with the Green Bay Packers in 2026
Hargrave wasn't terrible for the Vikings in 2025, as he finished with 52 total tackles, 10 pressures, 3.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 16 appearances. But his performance clearly wasn't enough to justify Minnesota keeping him on the team with the $21.5 million cap hit he was scheduled to have for the 2026 season.
Despite their rival not thinking Hargrave was worth the money, for whatever reason, Green Bay decided to sign him to a two-year contract worth $23 million this offseason.
Based on how he's played during the last two years as a member of Minnesota and the San Francisco 49ers, there was no reason for the Packers to give him a deal worth more than $11 million per year. Even if Hargrave is decent in 2026, he still likely won't perform at a level that would justify what Green Bay is paying him.
But this is the Packers we're talking about. So, if they want to make terrible decisions, Vikings fans definitely aren't going to rush to stop them.
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