When the Minnesota Vikings announced that they were parting ways with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, fans knew that this offseason was going to be interesting. Without him in place, it is extremely difficult to know what the future holds for the organization.
Until the Vikings hire a general manager, Rob Brzezinski will handle things. He is the executive vice president of football operations for Minnesota and will act as the interim general manager until the team decides on who to hire after the draft.
That also means some big moves might be made under Brzezinski's watch. Some notable names may have played their final season in purple and gold. Here are three players who might not be back in 2026.
Rob Brzezinski will face a huge challenge this offseason when he has to make some changes to the Minnesota Vikings roster for the 2026 NFL season.
Vikings player No. 1: Ryan Kelly, center
Concussions are a serious injury, and Ryan Kelly has suffered numerous in his career. Not only is his availability a question mark going forward, but his personal health and future have to be brought into question. While it would be great to have a fully healthy Ryan Kelly starting on the offensive line,
The 32-year-old offensive lineman is entering the final year of his two-year contract worth $18 million. His salary cap hit in 2026 is currently slated to be approximately $12.1 million, and that just doesn't work with how shaky his situation is.
Vikings player No. 2: Javon Hargrave, defensive line
First of all, Javon Hargrave wasn't a bad player in 2025, but he has some strong players behind him on the depth chart who can fill in and play at a high level. Levi Drake Rodriguez and Taki Taimani are both solid options to take over if the veteran defensive tackle leaves the Vikings.
Like Kelly, Hargrave is entering the final year of his two-year contract in Minnesota. However, his salary cap hit for 2026 will be approximately $21.5 million if he stays with the team. For a team desperate to clean up space without hurting the roster too much, this seems like a logical move. Since cutting him would result in over $10 million in dead cap space, expect the Vikings to try to trade him first.
Vikings player No 3: T.J. Hockenson, tight end
Moving on from tight end T.J. Hockenson isn't something the Minnesota Vikings would likely want to do, but unless they can get a lot more production out of him or lower his $21.4 million cap hit for the 2026 NFL season, he can't be back.
That also means that the door is wide open for the Vikings to use a high draft pick on a tight end if they feel they can get similar production from a cheaper option. However, an out in his contract could see Minnesota move on for just $12.5 million in dead cap space.