This offseason is going to be one of change as the Minnesota Vikings work to get out of the red under the salary cap, which is bad news for many players.
Vikings defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and running back Aaron Jones have already been told that they would be released at the start of the new league year if a trade isn't executed. Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard is on the trade block as the Vikings look to offload him from the roster.
ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler added more roster news on Wednesday as sources told him that the Vikings are going to be releasing defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.
The release comes one year after Allen signed a three-year, $51 million contract. He finished his only season with the team with 68 tackles, 11 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery in 17 games.
Minnesota Vikings are reportedly releasing Jonathan Allen after one season
The move was completely expected as Allen was on the next list of players expected to be released to help with the salary cap problems. Allen's release from the team will help save the team $6.5 million and has a dead cap of $17.3 million.
This will not be the last move the Vikings will make, as they still have other cuts to make. Many believe that center Ryan Kelly could be next in line for a release, with tight end T.J. Hockenson also being mentioned as a cut candidate.
Minnesota has to try to create as much cap space as possible so it can make some moves in the offseason.
The biggest one they must make is finding a quarterback, but with the minimum amount of money they have to spend, that might be more difficult than expected, which is why former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is an attractive candidate to sign with the team, since he can sign for a minimum contract with Arizona, eating up most of this contract in 2026.
Vikings fans should be prepared for more players to be released as the team tries to salvage its salary cap woes.