How to Fix the Vikings in the 2026 Offseason
Annually, at this time on the calendar, VikingsTerritory publishes its offseason plan and endorsement. The 2026 campaign is no different, and this version is actually a bit trickier because the franchise’s finances will be tight, unlike last year. Consider this our blueprint for the 2026 offseason before seeing any real dominoes fall.
This plan treats the salary cap crunch as unavoidable, then works around it step by step.
Minnesota will attempt to thread the needle by improving the roster with limited cap space, hitting on a successful draft class after a few years of failures, and figuring out the quarterback plan.
Dustin Baker’s Endorsement + Plan for the Vikings’ 2026 Offseason
Here’s what we would do as general manager.
Trade for Kyler Murray
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell will be on the hot seat in 2026, feeling the heat to win a playoff game. Head coaches rarely see a fifth year in charge without a postseason dub. O’Connell has been afforded that grace by the team’s ownership group.
While the club can, in theory, bank on J.J. McCarthy’s performance improving, his injury history is too tumultuous to trust as the sole solution in 2026 and beyond. Meanwhile, quarterbacks with Kyler Murray’s tools are rarely available via trade or free agency.
Therefore, the Vikings should trade for Murray with the Arizona Cardinals, a franchise that will have a new head coach and is probably ready to try something new at QB1.
Murray has the speed, mobility, arm strength, passing accuracy, and experience to thrive in Minnesota. His trade price is debatable, but let’s assume the Vikings send their 2nd-Round pick to Arizona for Murray and a 4th-Rounder.
Cut Aaron Jones and a Few Others
The Vikings start the offseason about $35 million over the salary cap. Accordingly, tough roster cuts must be conducted. Sadly, and for better or worse, we propose these roster releases:
- Javon Hargrave (DT)
- T.J. Hockenson (TE)
- Aaron Jones (RB)
- Ryan Kelly (C) — Retirement?
Minnesota can save about $40 million on this year’s cap by dropping these men. And just like that, the cap crunch is solved, getting into the green.
Restructure Brian O’Neill’s Contract and More
After taking the salary cap back “up” to zero, Adofo-Mensah must get further into the green. That is — find money to spend on new players. These players can be targeted for contractual restructure, where money is basically pushed into the future:
- Jonathan Allen (DT)
- Christian Darrisaw (LT)
- Justin Jefferson (WR)
- Brian O’Neill (RT)
This can pretty easily free up around $60-70 million in cap space. Nothing disadvantageous happens to those players; their cash is just moved around. Their wallets stay the same.
Re-Sign Jalen Redmond and a Few Others
Then, the Vikings can spend about $25-30 million in 2026 cap dollars on these players, who played for the team in 2025:
- Andrew DePaola (LS)
- Jalen Redmond (DT)
- Bo Richter (OLB)
- Justin Skule (OT)
- Eric Wilson (LB)
- Ryan Wright (P)
Redmond is a no-brainer and deserves a large extension. He posted fringe Pro Bowl numbers in 2025. Wilson might have balled out due to Brian Flores’ scheme, but Minnesota owes it to itself to find out if he was a one-hit wonder.
The special teamers, DePaola and Wright, are easy green lights. Richter and Skule are depth plays.
Allow These Free Agents to Leave
Foremost in this section, the assumption is that C.J. Ham and Harrison Smith will retire. If they do not, of course they’ll return to Minnesota for one last hurrah.
Otherwise, these players can depart for free agency:
- Ty Chandler (RB)
- Rondale Moore (WR)
- Matt Nelson (OT)
- Jeff Okudah (CB)
- Jalen Nailor (WR)
- Ivan Pace Jr. (LB)
- Brett Rypien (QB)
- Zavier Scott (RB)
- Ben Sims (TE)
- Tavierre Thomas (DB)
- Carson Wentz (QB)
Moore might be worth one more look, depending on the outcome of his ACL recovery. Nailor will likely ask for top WR3 dollar, but he just disappears too often in the offense for that kind of financial commitment, especially for a cash-strapped team.
Pace Jr. will want to start somewhere; he spent most of 2025 as Minnesota’s ILB3. Scott could come back as the RB3. And Wentz would make a wise QB3 — not QB2 — if he doesn’t retire.
Sign These FAs on a Condensed Budget
Besides Akers, who feels like an addiction for the Vikings, the players after him on the list balance affordability and youth. Adofo-Mensah should steer clear of players seeking third contracts; such players rarely work out. See: last year’s free agency.
A free-agent haul could look like this:
- Cam Akers (RB)
- Nick Cross (S)
- Jahan Dotson (WR)
- Cor’Dale Flott (CB)
- Luke Fortner (C)
- Isaiah Likely (TE)
Fornter posted a 66.5 Pro Football Focus grade in 2026. He would be an adept replacement for Ryan Kelly if Kelly were to retire. Cross, Flott, and Likely can fill the S, CB, and TE roster needs, respectively, and none are older than age 26. None of those players will utterly break the bank, either.
Pick Something in the Neighborhood of This Draft Class
Keeping in mind this article’s trade for Murray, Minnesota would lose a 2nd-Rounder but gain a 4th-Round pick:
Round 1: Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
Round 2: Traded to ARI (in this publication)
Round 3: Deontae Lawson (ILB, Alabama)
Round 3 (comp pick): Nick Singleton (RB, Penn State)
Round 4 (from ARI): Jalon Kilgore (S, South Carolina)
The rest of the picks are lottery tickets ( 6th- and 7th-Rounders), so we won’t factor those into a meaningful offseason impact.
Woods can perhaps start on Day One, particularly if Hargrave is an odd man out. Lawson may not bring the heat right away, as off-ball linebackers typically need a year or two to blossom.
Singleton is the steal of this quasi-mock draft. Some team will get a gem when it drafts him.
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