The Latest Vikings Update May Give Vikings Fans Some Heartburn
The latest Vikings update contains a mixture of good and bad details. At first, the news tastes good but there’s a bit of heartburn that follows.
As many will know by now, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel has seen his contract extended. Doing the deal ensures that the stud defender is around for another season while avoiding the possibility of there being a holdout. So, where’s the downside? In the 2026 budget.
The Latest Vikings Update
Andrew Van Ginkel & The 2026 Cap Peril
First, a quick word on the details of the deal.
Adam Schefter of ESPN passed along the news: “A raise in Minnesota: Vikings reached agreement today on a one-year $23 million extension that includes $22.4 million guaranteed for LB Andrew Van Ginkel, per his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus.”
Applause was soon to follow. The edge rusher was wildly underpaid on his two-year, $20 million contract, so upping the compensation was the way to go. The defender with top-tier hair and versatility has earned every penny.
Now, here’s the catch: the projected cap space in 2026 is looking bad. Really bad, in fact.
Over the Cap now puts the Vikings at a projected deficit of $32.4 million. Yes, there’s a degree of imprecision in the estimate since a lot can (and will) change between now and the beginning of the new league year in March of 2026, but owing more than $30 million already means that Minnesota is going to need to clear a pile of cap space just to break even.
Consider just some of the huge hits that are scheduled to hit the books next year.
Start off with Andrew Van Ginkel, someone who is coming in at $19.4 million. Other defenders will be carrying huge hits, too. Jonathan Greenard is sitting at $22.3 million while Javon Hargrave has a number that clears $21 million. Jonathan Allen see his number above $21.6 million and Byron Murphy is moving past $19 million.
On offense, Justin Jefferson sees his contract start putting up quarterback cap charges. The 2026 season is when that begins with a cap charge sitting at roughly $39 million. The tackle tandem — Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill — see cap charges sitting at roughly $23 million for the LT1 and $23 million for the RT1. T.J. Hockenson is coming in at $21.3 million. All of Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, and Aaron Jones similarly offer substantial hits.
Getting to the cap ceiling is very difficult with cap hits in the $2-$4 million range; getting to the cap ceiling is very easy with cap hits in the $20-$40 million range.
Many are likely thinking of the same point that has been made over and over again: isn’t J.J. McCarthy and his coveted rookie contract supposed to offset these things? The answer is yes, but it’s a truth that can only be stretched so far. Paying edge rushers, defensive tackles, offensive tackles, corners, and tight ends top-of-the-market money — or, at least, very strong money — means cap space disappearing in a hurry.
Never forget an important truth, folks: in the NFL, money can vanish faster than a magician’s assistant.
Step back from all that’s been said and take a breath. Andrew Van Ginkel is not responsible for creating the cap crunch. Rather, he’s merely the latest excellent veteran to land a strong deal with the Vikings, a reality that further exacerbates what has long been evident to onlookers with a bit of foresight: the ’26 budget is snug. Worse than snug: underwater.
The good news is that we’re dealing with a slow-moving crisis. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah knows where his budget stands and already has a decent idea about how to remedy the issue. Some of that is going to involve restructures and extensions, kicking cap charges into the future. So, too, will the GM consider cuts and trades as a way of putting money back in his team’s pocket.
In all likelihood, next year’s free agency isn’t going to be as fun as the most recent offseasons (don’t forget that Andrew Van Ginkel was a FA add back in ’24). Instead, the Vikings will lean into their abundant draft capital for 2026 to give the roster a boost. Doing so means adding talent but with the benefit of not needing to send out major money; rookies are very cost effective.
Keep in mind, as well, a few other factors.
Signing the 2025 rookie class — especially No. 24 pick Donovan Jackson — is going to involve seeing the cap space take another hit since each player will receive a four-year contract that cuts through 2026, thus lessening the room a bit more.
Working in Minnesota’s favor is that Garrett Bradbury’s freed up cap space hasn’t yet hit the books (that will occur in June). Sitting on more than $18 million currently, the Vikings can roll over unused cap space to next year to help offset the debt that’s within the budget.
Andrew Van Ginkel, 30 in July, is coming off a season where he was named to the Pro Bowl and honored as a second-team All Pro. He finished seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Extending him was the correct decision, but there’s going to be some work to do to get the finances back in good shape next year.
Keep an eye on how the budget evolves over the course of these next several months and, indeed, into next year. The GM has some work to do.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
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