The 6 Biggest Losses from Vikings Free Agency, Ranked
So far, six members of the 2025 Minnesota Vikings roster have been confirmed to have signed with new teams in 2026.
This article aims to rank the impact of these departed Vikings free agents and judge how much they will be missed in 2026.
Ranking the 6 Biggest Holes Left by Vikings FA Departures
While others like Carson Wentz might still return to Minnesota for the 2026 season, all six of Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Allen, Ben Sims, Ryan Wright, Ty Chandler, and Jalen Nailor will be playing elsewhere.
6. Ben Sims
Ben Sims played in eight games for the 2025 Vikings, catching 3 passes for 30 yards. With many tight ends on the depth chart and TJ Hockenson staying put, there probably wasn’t much motivation for the Vikings to bring Sims back.
He is possibly TE2 in Miami at this point, as Darren Waller remains a free agent and doesn’t seem likely to return to the Dolphins. Sims probably won’t be missed much in Minnesota, but he has a chance to make an impact for the Dolphins.
5. Ty Chandler
Ty Chandler became the latest former Viking to find a new home when he signed for the New Orleans Saints this week. Chandler showed some promise during his time in Minnesota, even making four starts in 2023, during which he rushed for over 400 yards and scored three touchdowns in his second season. 2025 was a disappointing season for Chandler, who suffered a knee injury in the first game of the season and didn’t return until Week 17. The time was right for Chandler and the Vikings to part ways, with Minnesota potentially looking at the draft to bolster their running back room.
4. Jonathan Allen
The Vikings decided to release Jonathan after just one year of a three-year deal. Allen was okay during his one season in Minnesota, but didn’t reach the same level as in Washington. Signing a two-year, $26 million contract with Cincinnati means Minnesota’s savings on Allen’s deal include next season’s dead cap. That’s a positive for the Vikings.
On the field, they have yet to add to their defensive tackle depth this offseason and may be counting on Levi Drake-Rodriguez and/or Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins to step up. Allen could be missed, but not as much as another defensive lineman they signed last season.
3. Ryan Wright
Ryan Wright’s four-year stint as the Vikings’ punter ended after he signed a four-year, $14 million deal with the New Orleans Saints. Wright was a dependable punter with a strong leg, and the Vikings were likely interested in keeping him, but their current salary cap situation probably prevented that.
The Vikings moved to sign veteran punter Johnny Hekker r to a one-year deal on Tuesday. Hekker spent his first 10 seasons with the Rams, earning All-Pro honors six times, before stops at Carolina and Tennessee in recent seasons.
2. Javon Hargrave
Javon Hargrave was an exciting signing a year ago, but at 33 years old, the Vikings decided he wasn’t worth the cost of retention given their salary cap needs. Hargrave seemed to decline in 2025 but remained an above-average interior defender, especially against the run — earning a 70.0 pass-rushing grade from PFF last season, with 3.5 sacks and 31 pressures. The Vikings will miss his interior pass rush.
They won’t miss his 57.3 run-defense grade, which highlighted inconsistent run defense, a major issue for Brian Flores’ defense last year. Minnesota needs to find someone who can bring the pass rush Hargrave provided, along with better run support — no easy task. I was high on drafting Caleb Banks, but another injury has increased the risks involved.
1. Jalen Nailor
It’s always disappointing when a player drafted in the sixth round spends four years developing into a good player, only to leave. The Vikings couldn’t match the three-year, $35 million contract the Las Vegas Raiders gave Jalen Nailor, and Minnesota lost its WR3. This raises questions about how the Vikings value adding another WR to their roster.
Tai Felton, a third-round pick last year, was expected to step into such a role by Year 2. However, we saw little of him during his rookie season, partly due to the team’s offensive struggles. Do they trust Felton’s development? They could look to free agency, where many WRs over 30 are past their prime but could still serve as WR3.
The other option is to draft again, as the Vikings have often succeeded at drafting wide receivers.
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