In terms of moves involving veterans, the offseason is over for the Minnesota Vikings. Well, unless edge rusher Jonathan Greenard ends up being traded. Speculation about that has been abound, as the veteran pass rusher seemingly wants a noticeable pay raise with two years left on the four-year, $76 million deal he signed in 2024.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic recently did a detailed dive into the situation with Greenard. Coming off a season where he had just three sacks and missed five games, Greenard doesn't seem to be in a great position to ask for more money.
But some deeper metrics, cited by Lewis, show Greenard was a more effective pass rusher last season than he was in 2024, when he had 12 sacks. Vikings fans surely remember an almost comical number of near-miss sacks he had last year.
Lewis' punch line regarding why a Greenard trade has not happened is not surprising.
"In recent weeks, multiple NFC teams evaluated the Greenard trade idea. None has pounced on the deal, with a high-ranking executive from one of the intrigued teams saying the size of Greenard’s proposed contract was the central hurdle."
During a recent appearance on SKOR North, Darren Wolfson of KSTP mentioned the four-year, $120 million deal free agent edge rusher Jaelan Phillips got from the Carolina Panthers as a potential baseline for what Greenard is seeking.
But on the Vikings' end of things, there may be an under the radar element that's driving the situation.
The Minnesota Vikings may have an endgame in mind regarding a potential Jonathan Greenard trade
When Greenard missed time last time, 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner emerged as had been hoped going into the season. 4.5 of Turner's eight sacks came in games Greenard missed, as he stepped into the veteran's role rather seamlessly.
Teams will say you can never have too many pass rushers, and they're absolutely right. But upon reviewing upcoming free agents for 2027, as things currently sit, something stands out for the Vikings. At the same time, it may be off the radar for most people right now.
Last offseason, the Vikings rewarded Andrew Van Ginkel for a breakthrough 2024 campaign by adding a year to his original two-year deal. That, of course, means he's entering a contract year in 2026. His drop-off last season was also not as drastic as Greenard's (seven sacks in 12 games), and he occupies an important (not to mention hard to replace) all-around role in Brian Flores' defense.
That being said, Greenard is two years younger than Van Ginkel, and age is always a factor when it comes to who is kept around long-term.
Greenard's contract desires are likely pushing potential trade suitors away. But the Vikings' asking price, lofty as it may be (and should be) to also narrow the list of trade suitors, suggests they may plan to have him and Turner as their primary edge rushers in 2027. In that case, Van Ginkel would be allowed to hit the open market next March.