Former Vikings Set to Hit Free Agency: The Biggest Names
NFL free agency is only about six weeks away, and per the usual routine, some former Minnesota Vikings players will hit the open market. Consider this list the most prominent ones seeking new homes.
One or two could even circle back to Minnesota, but most are simply the most recognizable ex-Vikings set to test the open market this spring.
A couple of these players could simply re-sign with their current squads, but overall, here’s who’s on the move in 2026.
Players from the Vikings’ Past Who Will Soon Be Available
As always, a handful of ex-Vikings players are scheduled to dip their toes in free agency.
Ed Ingram (G, HOU)
Guess who was the 12th-best guard in the NFL this season? Yep. It’s Ingram.
The Vikings traded Ingram last March for a 6th-Round pick and immediately shipped that draft capital to San Francisco for running back Jordan Mason. Vikings fans laughed because it seemed the Texans were getting a dud.
Instead, Texans fans now snicker at the Vikings: Why trade Ingram, who was apparently a Top 12 guard in hiding?
Ingram will likely earn between $10 million and $15 million with his next contract.
Daniel Jones (QB, IND)
Jones played like an MVP candidate for about six weeks to start the 2025 campaign. His team owned an 8-2 record before completely melting down and missing the playoffs. Along the way, Jones tore his Achilles tendon, and he faces a long recovery.
The word out of Indianapolis is that Jones will be re-signed, so he may never see the light of day in free agency. Spotrac estimates his value at about $44 million per season.
Horsehoe Heroes‘ Daniel Davis wrote this week, “The top priority this offseason should be retaining Daniel Jones. The resurgence in Indianapolis for his career needs to be studied in a lab. Jones was playing at an MVP level, so well, in fact, the Colts didn’t punt or turn the ball over for nearly three full games.”
“Jones signed a one-year prove-it deal with Indianapolis, and he proved his worth. However, the price tag will go from $14 million to $40+ this offseason.”
Dalton Risner (G, CIN)
Risner signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2025, and he thought he would compete for a Super Bowl. Instead, Cincinnati’s season swirled down the tubes the moment quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a toe injury.
The former Viking ended up placing 13 spots below Ingram, earning in PFF’s end-of-season guard rankings the 25th-best offensive guard designation.
If Risner’s free agency stays true to form, no team will sign him until late in the summer. For some damn reason, that always happens to Risner. He’s not a hot commodity for the first few months of the process, even if his performance suggests there’s nothing bad about him.
Strype Hype‘s Glenn Adams noted this week on Risner, “Bengals fans already wanted Risner to return for next season. Heck, there was a very loud majority of people on Beyonce’s internet who made it clear they wanted Risner last season before he signed with the Bengals.”
“That outcry has only gotten louder now that Risner barrels dangerously close to free agency. But the fans are not the only ones who want Risner to return. Starting right tackle Amarius Mims was emphatic with his praise for Risner and was excited to make Cincinnati home for the soon-to-be free agent.”
Risner somehow captivated the Bengals’ fan base.
Adams continued, “Long before Mims’ appraisal, at the beginning of this season, Karras acknowledged Risner’s professionalism after filling in for an injured Lucas Patrick, which made Risner blush. Now the only question is, will the Bengals’ front office listen to the fans, players, and Risner and negotiate a contract that will keep the guard with the organization for a couple more years?”
D.J. Wonnum (OLB, CAR)
Wonnum played in 16 games for the Panthers this season, starting 15, and somehow logged just 3 sacks as a starting EDGE defender. That isn’t good.
His days as a full-time starter likely ended when the Panthers lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the postseason, but Wonnum should command about $5-6 million per year as an OLB3-OLB4 somewhere.
Nahshon Wright (CB, CHI)
Wright dropped a decent 86.8 passer-rating against this season for the Bears, tabulated 5 interceptions, and pulled down a 65.1 PFF score. Not bad.
He joined the Vikings in the summer of 2024 when Minnesota shipped Andrew Booth to Dallas. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores apparently didn’t see much in Wright because he didn’t use him in 2024, and Wright later landed with the Bears. The former 3rd-Rounder has revitalized his career and will use 2026 to show 2025 wasn’t an outlier.
Spotrac lists his free-agent value at a staggering $16.7 million per season.
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