The Minnesota Vikings were very aggressive during 2025 free agency, spending the most raw money in the league. But the salary cap piper eventually has to be paid, and as we look at it right now (via Over The Cap), they are a shade over $36 million in the red for 2026.
As the New Orleans Saints prove every year, for better or worse, getting cap-compliant doesn't have to be incredibly difficult. Current contracts can be restructured, cuts can be made, and players can be traded to provide relief.
In whatever fashion they take shape, the Vikings will have some tough decisions to make when the offseason comes. But there are some moves, if they can happen, that will be easier to swallow.
The Minnesota Vikings' top offseason trade chip has likely already revealed himself
With the in-season trade deadline obviously behind us, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report has offered one player who could be the top potential offseason trade chip for each NFL team.
While some analysts or fans may point to wide receiver Jordan Addison as that guy for the Vikings, Gagnon went with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
"Continuing a trend, Dallas Turner probably hasn't given the Vikings enough confidence to ship out Andrew Van Ginkel. That said, they've gotten enough out of Jalen Redmond and Levi Drake Rodriguez to make the expensive 32-year-old Hargrave expendable ahead of a contract year. Keep in mind they would still have Jonathan Allen's experience within the defensive line."
In Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, his Vikings' debut, Hargrave had two sacks and tallied seven pressures of Caleb Williams. He did not register another takedown of an opposing quarterback until Week 9 against the Detroit Lions, with eight pressures over the intervening six games. His overall Pro Football Focus grade is mid-pack among defensive tackles (No. 58 out of 127 qualifiers), with a pass rush grade (70.5) just outside the top-30 at the position entering Week 11.
Hargrave has been outplayed by Redmond this season, and Rodriguez has also generally looked good over a smaller sample of snaps. If that remains the case over the rest of the season, the Vikings have two key young pieces for their defensive tackle rotation in 2026.
Hargrave signed a two-year, $30 million deal with the Vikings in March, and his 2026 cap hit is just shy of $21.5 million. A trade would create $15 million in cap space, with the rest (prorated signing bonus) left behind in dead money. Via Spotrac's trade machine, that same $15 million (base salary, plus per-game roster bonus and workout bonus) would be the cap hit an acquiring team would take on in a trade.
Ideally, Hargrave will close the season on a consistently productive run as a force for the Vikings' interior defensive line. While that might solidify his place on the 2026 roster, it would also bolster his trade value if things went that direction come the offseason.