Popular Vikings Scheduled for a Last Ride in 2025
The Minnesota Vikings embark on the 2025 regular season in about three months, on tap to win eight or nine games, according to sportsbooks.
On paper, via contractual standing, these Vikings players are scheduled for just one more hurrah in 2025.
Along the way, a handful of notable players are scheduled to play their final season with the purple team and have not been extended as of early June.
Excluding players who just signed with the Vikings on one-year deals, these are the notable Vikings players who are on deck for free agency in 2026.
They’re listed in ascending order (No. 1 = most impactful Viking playing on final year of contract).
7. Brian Asamoah (LB)
The Vikings picked Asamoah from Oklahoma in Round 3 three years ago, but generally refuse to use him on defense. He’s a special teams commodity.
Some believe Asamoah could be released this summer, with rookie Kobe King and veteran Eric Wilson on the depth chart. But if Asamoah makes it to the regular season because of his special team prowess, he feels like an unlikely candidate for an extension beyond his rookie deal, which expires in early 2026.
6. Ty Chandler (RB)
A draft classmate of Asamoah, most Ty Chandler news involves roster demotions.
In back-to-back seasons, Cam Akers has taken his job, and this spring, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah found Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers via trade. None of those events fared well for Chandler.
The speedster showed promise down the stretch of the 2023 campaign, but his days are probably numbered in purple and gold.
5. Josh Oliver (TE)
Oliver’s contract will expire at the end of 2025, and barring an extension this summer, the upcoming campaign will be his Minnesota swan song.
Oliver does the “dirty work” for Kevin O’Connell on Sundays, and he could parlay that trait into more years with the team. Stay tuned.
It’s also worth noting that Vikings have no clear-cut TE2 replacement on the roster.
4. Jalen Nailor (WR)
Nailor finally hit his stride — to an extent — last season, tabulating an impressive 6 touchdowns as the Vikings’ primary WR3.
So when Adofo-Mensah drafted Tai Felton five weeks ago, Nailor’s long-term outlook as the franchise’s WR3 trended south.
If Nailor is not extended this summer, he’s likely heading to 2026 free agency.
Our very own Janik Eckardt wrote about Nailor last month: “When he left in the 2024 offseason, someone else had to step up in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Nailor became that guy. The 2022 sixth-rounder showed flashes early in his NFL career, but was buried on the depth chart behind Jefferson, Thielen, and Osborn. Therefore, he barely got to touch the field in his debut season.”
“Later in that 2022 campaign, the Vikings experienced a blowout defeat at Lambeau Field, and Nailor was the one bright spot, securing three catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. He had another big game in the meaningless Week 18 performance and finished his rookie season with nine catches for 179 yards and a touchdown in 15 games.”
Not for nothing, Nailor appears to have bulked up for the 2025 season.
Eckardt added, “His 2023 season was a disaster. Instead of the expected breakout year, he was mostly hurt and played in only six games. Nailor caught only three passes all year. He also struggled with injuries in his college career, so that became a serious concern.”
“Then the 2024 offseason arrived, and Osborn’s exit opened the door for Nailor. He remained healthy all year, earned the WR3 role, and his numbers exploded to 28 grabs for 414 yards and six touchdowns. His speed is excellent, and he started the season hot, showing he can be a capable replacement for Addison, who suffered an ankle injury and was sidelined for a couple of games.”
3. C.J. Ham (FB)
Ham is no spring chicken, but the Vikings are one of the few teams that still use a fullback in their offense.
It is severely unlikely that Minnesota would release Ham, making his appearance on this list as a retirement watch.
2. Josh Metellus (S)
Metellus had to be included on this list for contractual purposes. His deal ends after the 2025 season.
However, the man is an all-arounder for the Vikings, and his extension feels like a no-brainer. Before too long, Adofo-Mensah will probably lock Metellus in for another three years or so.
Curiously, Metellus did not seem to be at Vikings OTAs last week. Something to monitor.
1. Harrison Smith (S)
The Hitman makes this list every year at VikingsTerritory because his retirement is so damn imminent. He’ll be 37 next February.
The cool part about Smith, an utter Vikings legend? While he’s not as physically gifted as he was in 2017, for example, he remains an asset in Brian Flores’ defense. Thirty-six-year-old safeties should be liabilities.
Many believed Smith would retire this offseason, but he’s back for one more hurrah. Unless he returns for his 15th season in 2026.
Before too long, the Vikings will need a Smith successor, which is why many draft pundits thought the team could pick Malaki Starks (Georgia) or Nick Emmanowri (South Carolina) in April.
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