Vikings Ensure Defensive Standout Stays Put
Vikings defensive tackle Jalen Redmond has been one of the best storylines in the Twin Cities over the last couple of seasons. Once an afterthought in the NFL, Redmond has become one of the most disruptive players on an elite defense. He’s not going anywhere.
As a player with only two accrued seasons at the NFL level, Redmond was an exclusive rights free agent. The Vikings can simply use the exclusive-rights tender to keep him in the building for another season at a comically low salary, given his production. In fact, that move had been widely expected. On Monday, the Vikings announced they would do just that.
The franchise wrote on its website, “The Vikings on Monday announced they have placed the exclusive rights free agent tender on Jalen Redmond. The move is one of the easier decisions for Minnesota and brings Redmond back for 2026 with an eventual opportunity for a longer-term deal.”
He’s slated to earn the minimum salary for a player with two seasons on his résumé, which is exactly $1,075,000. Indeed, the Vikings can hand him a long-term deal and his play from last year suggests that a major raise is in order. The front office can deal with that in the later stages of the offseason. For now, they have just secured that he’ll be on the team in 2026.
Redmond entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2023. Coming out of the University of Oklahoma, Redmond signed with the Carolina Panthers. Stunningly, given his trajectory, they waived him after training camp and he couldn’t find another team. His next stop was in the UFL, where he wreaked havoc in only four games before the Vikings called.
Under Brian Flores’ watch, Redmond initially only earned a spot on the practice squad with strong performances in the preseason, but he was quickly elevated to the 53-man roster. His snap counts increased throughout the season, and he even entered the starting lineup over Jerry Tillery later in the campaign.
One year ago, it felt as if his momentum would be stopped when Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave were signed to join Harrison Phillips on the defensive line. However, he fended off that attack for his place in the rotation. First, Phillips was traded, then Redmond usurped the two former Pro Bowlers on the depth chart.
He logged 6 sacks and 62 tackles in 2025.
Our own Dustin Baker wrote in January, “Redmond has turned into one of the NFL’s most effective interior defenders, even if his name hasn’t broken through nationally yet. He ended 2025 with a 72.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, complete with 6 sacks, which ranked 11th in the league among all defensive tackles. Redmond also checked in fourth in batted passes, one of his specialties.”
With Allen and Hargrave expected to be released, Redmond has established himself as a starter on the defensive front.
Kevin O’Connell said in November, “There’s a standard to his play. It’s shown up every single week, and it goes back a lot before everybody started to notice it. For us, just felt like he was a guy that we wanted to make sure was on the field as much as possible. He’s a really good player. I think he’s developed throughout his time here and really is starting to understand how he fits within the defense. Love the player and everything he brings to our defense and our building every day,”
The defensive tackle group could still undergo changes this offseason, especially with the two starters departing. Young depth players Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Levi Drake Rodriguez could emerge as starters, but new arrivals could follow in the Draft or in free agency.
Either way, the group will be built around Redmond, the 26-year-old standout interior lineman.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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