One intriguing storyline in the Minnesota Vikings' offseason that still needs to be resolved is what will happen with edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.
Last season was a down year for the stats as Greenard had just three after picking up 12 in his first season with Minnesota in 2024. Entering free agency, Greenard has been the subject of trade rumors, with the Philadelphia Eagles being a name attached to make a move for him.
There's a lot that needs to be sorted out before any kind of decision can be made about what the Vikings should do with Greenard. The Athletic's Vikings reporter, Alec Lewis, decided to do a full deep dive into the situation and whether a trade could happen.
Could the Minnesota Vikings actually trade Jonathan Greenard away?
An interesting aspect of this is whether there needs to be a timeline for trading him before the Vikings take a financial hit by keeping him on for the 2026 season. As Lewis says, Minnesota doesn't have to be in a massive rush to get a deal done.
"A couple of weeks ago, a $4 million guarantee vested on Greenard’s contract. This didn’t affect the internal or external negotiations. The Vikings had planned for it, and any interested team would alter Greenard’s contract so that the $4 million didn’t matter.
Conversations between teams tend to evolve around the draft. By then, teams have a deeper understanding of who might be available at their pick. That knowledge can inform how teams approach negotiations.
If no team meets the Vikings’ asking price, they could proceed into the summer and fall with training camp and the start of the season as dates that typically foster resolution."
The Vikings are going to have to pay Greenard $19 million each year in 2026 and 2027 to keep him on the roster. For a team that has been all about creating cap space, that's a lot of money to eat it.
The article mentions two teams that are good candidates for a trade: the Indianapolis Colts and the Eagles. Philly has the draft capital the Vikings would want for him, but the Colts may not make much sense, given they won't have first-round picks the next two years and will hold onto their Day 2 picks that Minnesota would want for Greenard.
Lewis shared some interesting stats about whether Greenard is worth keeping on the roster despite his three-sack season. That stat is misleading about what he actually did on the field, pressuring the quarterback. He actually managed to increase his pressure rate (18.1 percent), win rate (16.6 percent), quick pressure percentage (8.2 percent), and run stop rate (8.8 percent).
The truth is, Greenard played good football last season, but health issues and a lack of sacks hurt what fans saw in him. He's still one of the top pass rushers in the NFL, and the Vikings don't necessarily have to get rid of him if they don't get a good deal.
Minnesota's defensive line has already taken a big hit with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave gone, but they still have some great edge rushers in Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner. Adding Greenard in that mix, and the Vikings might be smarter just to hold off for the time being before they decide to pack his bags elsewhere.