Vikings open door to dramatic Jonathan Greenard exit

It's certainly no secret that the Minnesota Vikings were going to have salary cap issues heading into this NFL offseason, given the spending spree they embarked upon a year ago at this time.

And even with the league officially setting the 2026 figure at a record $301.2 million late last week, a $22 million bump from the 2025 campaign, the Vikes are still $46,485,553 on the wrong side of the number, according to Over The Cap.

It needs to be noted, of course, that the figure above does not yet include any of the contracts that will undoubtedly be restructured to create more space, nor does it include the $18.65 million Minnesota will save by releasing defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and running back Aaron Jones. So, those things naturally have to be taken into account.

Even with those moves, however, the Vikings still have more to make, and according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, one of those could be moving on from edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, as he reported on Tuesday that Minnesota is open to trading the six-year veteran.

Trading Jonathan Greenard would save the Minnesota Vikings $12.25 million against the 2026 cap

Schefter mentions that the Vikings don't necessarily want to trade Greenard, but with the development of Dallas Turner, who led the team with 8.0 sacks in 2025, and the fact that Greenard's 2026 cap figure is $22.15 million and rises a touch to $22.3 million in 2027, this is certainly something the organization has to consider.

Greenard, who earned his first career trip to the Pro Bowl following the 2024 campaign, has been extremely productive in his two seasons wearing the Purple & Gold, even with missing five games this past year, racking up 97 total tackles, 34 QB hits, and 15.0 sacks. So, it's naturally easy to see why the Vikings would want to keep him. Again, though, those cap hits are massive.

If the Vikes do indeed trade the 28-year-old, they'd save another $12.25 million against the 2026 cap. And if this is going to happen, they'll want it to happen quickly, as $4 million of his base salary, none of which is guaranteed right now, would become guaranteed if he's still on the roster on the fifth day of the new league year.

As to what Minnesota might want in return, Jeremy Fowler is reporting that the team is looking for a Day 2 pick in next month's draft, meaning a second- or third-rounder.

To make the matter more interesting, Greenard himself apparently liked an Instagram post referencing Schefter's initial report.

Well, that certainly adds a little more intrigue, doesn't it? So, we'll now just have to wait and see how things play out over the next week.