The Minnesota Vikings were wise to move on from these players after the 2022 NFL season.
Some extremely hard decisions had to be made by the Minnesota Vikings front office as they prepare for the 2023 NFL season as well as prepare to shape the future of the franchise under GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Those decisions sometimes involve players who could be great in the future or ones who were major contributors for many years that might be reaching the end of their high-levels of production while still recdeiving major compensation.
One major issue the Vikings faced in preparing for the future was how some large contracts were given as rewards for veteran players who were still starters but were increasing in age but still having massive salary cap hits.
There were some players who the Minnesota Vikings were right to move on from despite how much they may have been a part of the team for a very long time or have become very popular with fans of the team.
Note: All financial and contract information is from Spotrac.com and stats are from Pro Football Reference.
Players the Minnesota Vikings were right to move on from
Adam Thielen, wide receiver
Minnesota Vikings fans around the world all felt a little sick to their stomachs when they saw the team had released veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. The story of his rise to fame and love for the state and the franchise is unparalleled.
Sadly, the NFL is a business and the contract Thielen signed before the arrival of the new general manager was a hefty one that made his ability to perorm at a very high level a necessity in order to reach that value.
In 2020 and 2021, Thielen achieved double-digit touchdowns in each season. That number dropped to six scores in 2022 despite Justin Jefferson being the focus of opposing defenses on a weekly basis.
Cutting Thielen cleared $6.4 million against the salary cap and paved the way for the Vikings to draft Jordan Addison in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft in an attempt to prepare for the future of Minnesota's offense.
Players the Minnesota Vikings were right to move on from
Eric Kendricks, linebacker
Much like the case with Adam Thielen, it was a bit hard to accept when Eric Kendricks was released by the Minnesota Vikings. It will be hard to imagine a purple and gold defense without the linebacker on the field.
Eight seasons in Minnesota made him a regular in the defense. Last season was the first of his career without an interception since his rookie campaign and he tied for the second-lowest sack output of his career.
Kendricks is on the wrong side of 30 and entering his ninth season in the league. Releasing him saved $9.5 million against the salary cap and allows the Vikings to attempt to get younger at linebacker as they transition to a new scheme.
While it would have been nice to have both Thielen and Kendicks on the roster during the 2023 NFL season, a new era of the Minnesota Vikings is in the works. It will be interesting to see which other players from the previous regime are let go in the future.
Players the Minnesota Vikings were right to move on from
Patrick Peterson, cornerback
Patrick Peterson will be 33 years old this season but wasn't too bad for the Minnesota Vikings during his two seasons with the team. However, to retain his services, the team likely would have needed to pay a premium price.
His contracts from 2021 and 2022 averaged $6 million per year, which is a significant price tag for a team looking to get younger and prepare for the future. Instead of paying that, the Vikings allowed him to leave in free agency and sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Peterson could still have fuel left in the tank. In 2022, he had five interceptions (second-most in a season in his career) and a career-high 66 combined tackles. But it is usually better to move on too early than too late.
12 seasons in the NFL is a lot of wear and tear on a body and it's hard to know how much longer Peterson will be able to perform at a high level. Although he provided some great moments with Minnesota, it was time to make some major changes.
Players the Minnesota Vikings were right to move on from
Dalvin Tomlinson, defensive line
The Minnesota Vikings defense was absolute atrocious in 2022, finishing ahead of only the Detroit Lions in terms of total yards given up. Many of those yards came on the ground, as opposing teams didn't struggle running the ball.
In 2022, Minnesota allowed 4.5 yards per carry and gave up 18 rushing touchdowns (tied for the ninth most). This was disheartening since the Vikings invested heavily in their defensive line, including bringing in Dalvin Tomlinson on a big contract.
Two years for $22 million with $20 million guaranteed was a lot of money and $7.5 million in dead cap is a lot for the 2023 NFL season, but getting the personnel out there that the team is comfortable with is much more important.
Tomlinson cashed in during free agency, signing a four-year deal worth $57 million with the Cleveland Browns despite not playing up to the level he played during his last two seasons with the Giants during his time in Minnesota.
Players the Minnesota Vikings were right to move on from
Cameron Dantzler, cornerback
The most surprising of all the Minnesota Vikings departures so far has to be young defensive back Cameron Dantzler. At only 24 years old, seeing him exit was a bit baffling since it left the team very thin at cornerback.
Over the course of three years, Dantzler played in 35 games for Minnesota, starting 26 of those contests and was expected to return as a starter for the 2023 NFL season but instead was waived to create $2.7 million in salary cap space.
Dantzler was claimed on waivers by the Washington Commanders, giving him another opportunity to prove himself. However, this was a clear sign by the Vikings that he didn't quite fit what the defense was hoping to accomplish moving forward.
A third-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2020, Cameron Dantzler Sr. spent time on injured reserve as well as being inactive for the team in 2022. Perhaps the writing was on the wall for him but many fans just didn't see it.