With time to get right, the Minnesota Vikings are currently more than $45 million in the red against the projected salary cap for 2026 (according to Over The Cap). There are some easy ways to trim cap dollars, via contract restructures and extensions, but some tough decisions are coming for the remodeled football operation at TCO Performance Center.
A look at the Vikings' balance sheet reveals how there just aren't many cut candidates who wouldn't leave behind a notable dead money hit. Of course, that equation shifts based on official timing, with a post-June 1 cut often clearing more cap space than a pre-June 1 cut would.
There are some Vikings who land as potential offseason trade candidates, most notably wide receiver Jordan Addison. But Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine also had another Viking who could be on the radar of teams as a trade target, and another analyst has taken that baton.
Vikings may have a clean way to clear $15 million in cap space
Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac has Addison on his list of early trade candidates for the offseason. But he included the aforementioned second member of the Purple, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
"The 32-year-old is having a strong 2025, filling up the stat table as per usual across his 10-year career. But father time is against him, the Vikings will be looking to freshen up a few roster areas, and the cap situation will force a few uncomfortable moves this offseason. $4M of Hargrave’s $15M salary is already fully guaranteed. Finding a trade partner next year can open up $11M of cap space."
To say Hargrave had a strong 2025 season is an overstatement, but it certainly could've been worse. He had 3.5 sacks (two in Week 1), with 52 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus graded him 37th overall out of 129 qualifying defensive tackles, and he had a top-32 pass rush grade at the position.
Technically, according to Over The Cap, the Vikings would clear close to $11 million by cutting Hargrave before June 1, with a nearly equal dead money hit. A trade would clearly add nearly $15 million in cap space, while shaving the dead money hit down to about $6.5 million.
There is no clear-cut path for the Vikings with Hargrave this offseason. Cutting him, trading him, or reworking his contract can all be made to make sense. What we can confidently say isn't happening is having him carry the sixth-highest cap hit on the team, like he currently is at $21.45 million.
A defensive tackle with pass rush chops has trade value, and the Vikings will have a hard time turning away from any opportunity to clear noticeable cap space this offseason. So Hargrave being on the trade block is plausible, and multiple teams could have some interest.