If the Vikings Go Full Fire Sale, These Are the Trade Chips
Events went so poorly for the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football that some have wondered what a “fire sale” before the NFL’s trade deadline on November 4th might look like. If you’re one of those folks, this article is for you.
Some have wondered if the Vikings will surrender before the league’s trade deadline in nine days. If they do, these are the big-ticket items to trade.
Minnesota has 10 games remaining in 2025 and is severely unlikely to quit on a once-promising campaign, but these are the options if big-name players are traded.
Note: This article does not believe the Vikings will have a fire sale; instead, it merely explores the options and the return if they did. The following also doesn’t list small-time players like Blake Brandel, for example. Just the big trade fish.
Vikings Fire Sale? These Would Be the Possibilities
An alphabetic list of big-ticket, would-be trade options.
1. Jordan Addison (WR)
Addison has made a few off-the-field mistakes since becoming a Viking in 2023 — so much so that fans have daydreamed about what a trade might look like if the team had to mail it in on his future.
The electric playmaker has also been whispered in the trade rumor mill in recent weeks among wide receiver-needy franchises like the New England Patriots. There’s a world — probably like a 2% chance — where Minnesota could trade Addison now while his stock is still high.
Don’t bet on it, but the chatter is out there.
The Viking Age‘s Brad Berreman on Addison: “Since returning from a three-game suspension to start the season, and needing zero ramp-up in his first game back, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison has topped 100 yards twice, with the game-winning touchdown in the other contest. Leaving aside the off-the-field concerns he has had, and being suspended for the first quarter of the game in London against the Cleveland Browns, he is making his case for a nice second contract.”
“The question is if the Vikings will give him that kind of contract, which will likely be in the $30 million per year range. The sentiment on that varies and tends to sit on both ends of the spectrum, depending on the day or the week. The Vikings will surely pick up Addison’s fifth-year option for 2027 by next May. But until they sign him to a contract extension beyond that, trade speculation will be convenient for those who want to entertain it. There have been no signs that Addison is on the trade block or that he’s not part of the long-term plan in Minnesota.”
What Could Be Fetched in Return: 2nd-Round Pick
2. Jonathan Allen (DT)
Allen signed a three-year, $51 million contract in March, and through seven games, here’s merely a decent interior defensive lineman. He logged a sack in garbage time at the Los Angeles Chargers, his first as a Viking.
His current 53.5 Pro Football Focus score leaves much to be desired.
What Could Be Fetched in Return: 6th-Round Pick
3. Javon Hargrave (DT)
Hargrave struggles with run defense. There’s no sugarcoating it.
He once thrived as a run defender back in his Pittsburgh days, a force in the trenches who could plug lanes and collapse pockets. But those days are gone. The league has shifted, his body has miles on it, and now Hargrave’s best use is as a situational third-down pass rusher — not an every-down anchor.
Javon Hargrave,
2025 PFF Scores:
vs. Pass + Run:
Pass Rush: 70.3
Run Defense: 39.8
Unless something clicks miraculously and he rediscovers that old strength against the run, it feels like his time is running out. Either he’s dealt before the November 4th trade deadline to a team desperate for interior help, or he’s a cap casualty by spring. The tape doesn’t lie, and right now, the tape says he’s lost a step — or maybe two.
What Could Be Fetched in Return: 6th-Round Pick
4. T.J. Hockenson (TE)
Hockenson is on pace for 66 receptions, 539 yards, and 2 touchdowns. The Vikings have admitted that they haven’t used him optimally as a pass-catcher because of offensive line injuries, but no matter what, 539 end-of-season yards is not worth Hockenson’s lofty contract. He’s the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid tight end. At that rate, he should be raking in 1,000 yards and 7+ touchdowns.
Hockenson is doing no such thing, and trading him to a Super Bowl-contending team cannot be ruled out if the team has the aforementioned fire sale.
What Could Be Fetched in Return: 5th-Round Pick
5. Aaron Jones (RB)
Believe it or not, the Vikings actually have plenty of running backs:
- Jordan Mason
- Aaron Jones
- Zavier Scott
- Cam Akers
- C.J. Ham (FB)
- Ty Chandler (IR)
- Corey Kiner (Practice Squad)
If the mission becomes selling before the deadline, Minnesota could roll with Mason, Scott, and Akers. That group would rank near the bottom of the sport in terms of talent, but fire sales are about bottoming out.
What Could Be Fetched in Return: 6th-Rounder
You must be logged in to post a comment.