Vikings Get Cap Space Injection
After June 1st, NFL teams experience more financial flexibility if they’ve chosen to designate roster cut savings for a later date.
It’s June 2nd, so the Vikings suddenly have more cap space, with summer operations heating up and Minnesota’s first regular season game 14 weeks away.
It’s a peculiar NFL rule, but this time, thanks to Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s planning, the purple team has more money to spend this summer.
“New” Money from Garrett Bradbury’s Release
The Vikings released longtime center Garrett Bradbury in March after signing four-time Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly from free agency. And the way Adofo-Mensah structured the cut, Minnesota will receive an extra $5.25 million in cap space on Monday.
The easy math? The $13 million or so in cap space jumps to nearly $19 million — more than enough to sign an impactful free agent or two.
Today’s the day for that Bradbury maneuver to hit the books.
Post-June 1st Rule, Explained
If you’re new to the NFL’s salary cap rules, well, they’re a bit complicated.
NFL analyst Matt Warren explains the post-June 1st rule like this: “Instead of actually waiting until June 2 to make the release official, the NFL allows you to designate the move ahead of time. In March at the start of the league year, you can release that player, then carry their existing cap hit until June 2.”
“On June 2, the financials of the move then swing in, and the current dead cap figure replaces that year’s cap hit while future dead cap remaining is assigned to the following season. As in our previous example, $2 million would stay on the current year and $4 million would shift into the following year. Being able to release a player in March instead of June is better for the players and teams, so it’s a win-win situation.”
© Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
That’s how the process shook out with Bradbury, who joined the New England Patriots days after his release.
A Fancy New Free Agent for the Vikings?
So, the $64,000 question: What will Minnesota do with the fresh cap space? Free agency is a common-sense possibility.
While the purple roster is in dazzling shape per most fans’ estimation, some areas could use a little love in the form of depth.
These free agents might check some boxes for Adofo-Mensah, equipped with an extra $5.25 million:
- Cam Akers (RB)
- Nick Chubb (RB)
- Rasul Douglas (CB)
- Gerald Everett (TE)
- Shaquill Griffin (CB)
- Jack Jones (CB)
- Asante Samuel Jr. (CB)
- Mike Hilton (CB)
Also remember that the Vikings would possibly sign one or two of those players, not all.
Hanging on to the Money for 2026?
Minnesota has a dirty little secret. The 2026 cap situation is grim. Really grim. Adofo-Mensah is about $54 million in the hole, meaning at the start of the 2026 offseason, he must restructure existing contracts or cut several players just to find money for new free agents.
The Vikings basically went all in per roster construction two months ago, and the spending spree that folks witnessed in March simply won’t occur next offseason.
Therefore, in theory, the young executive could roll 2025 cap space over to 2026. One might call this the “boring option.”
Other Takes on Vikings’ Newfound Cap Space
SB Nation’s Kevin Knight opined on the cap space situation for Minnesota last weekend.
He wrote, “Before Bradbury’s savings, Minnesota was sitting at just $16.4 million in space – good for 24th in the league. While that’s plenty of space for emergency depth signings or other small maneuvers this season, it’s not enough for anything major. With the additional $5.2 million from Bradbury’s post-June 1st release, the Vikings will be sitting at $21.6 million, which would put them at around 18th in the NFL.”
“That’s suddenly enough to make a big signing or swing a trade, if necessary. The most prudent course of action for the Vikings is almost certainly to hold onto as much of the money as possible to help with their future cap situation. At the moment, Minnesota is currently projected to have the worst cap situation in the NFL in 2026.”
It’s worth noting that other teams received post-June 1st bumps, as well.
Knight added, “The Vikings are currently estimated to be -$52.56 million against the cap next season, a full $10 million worse than the perennially cap-constrained New Orleans Saints. Any cap space that the Vikings don’t use this season will “roll over” and apply to the 2026 cap. While there’s no way for Minnesota to hold onto all $21.6 million of their currently available cap space, any amount would help to cut into the team’s massive deficit next year.”
“It’ll take some savvy maneuvering by the Vikings to continue their recent success, and being as financially responsible as possible over the remainder of 2025 could be a major factor in how flexible the team can be in 2026.”
Trades are also easier to negotiate financially after June 1st, so monitor that for Minnesota, too. Adofo-Mensah could swing a trade for a cornerback or tight end per current roster needs. A player like cornerback Jalen Ramsey has recently inhabited the team’s trade rumor mill.
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