From salary cap hell and the NFL Draft to that little problem at quarterback, the Minnesota Vikings need to make some major decisions this offseason. And while some choices have a bigger impact than others, there will be no shortage of sleepless nights over the coming months for Vikings leadership. But despite the plethora of issues to work through, a second look may reveal that this offseason’s problems are actually pretty simple.
First things first, Minnesota will likely need to make a few cuts and contract restructures to get salary cap compliant by the start of the new league year in March. There are a lot of big-name players earning big money who could be casualties, and the Vikings may need to move on from fan favorites. But a closer look at some of the top cut candidates makes the decisions crystal clear.
“The Logo” came over to the Vikings via trade in 2022, and while T.J. Hockenson’s first few seasons with Minnesota were elite, the last two years haven’t come close to justifying his monster contract. In 2023, Hockenson had 960 yards receiving to go along with five touchdowns.
Over the last two seasons combined, he’s totaled just 893 yards and three scores. While injuries and questionable quarterback play haven’t helped, the former star will be 29 this season and hasn’t shown he’s still the same player he was before the injuries. Hockenson will have a $21 million cap hit in 2026, but can save the Vikings nearly $9 million if they cut him.
While once a cornerstone of the offense, and certainly a fan favorite at times, the choice to cut Hockenson makes more sense than not. Although Minnesota isn’t terribly deep at tight end, they already have an elite blocker in Josh Oliver. They could reasonably pick up a pass catcher, albeit with less impressive hair, in free agency for a much lower hit than Hockenson.
Before they approach free agency and the draft, the Vikings could make two more easy cuts that shouldn’t garner a second more thought. Soon-to-be 33-year-old lineman Ryan Kelly and Javon Hargrave could save Minnesota a combined $20 million, and there really shouldn’t be any debate.
Both signings came with some risks, and all of those hazards unfortunately came to fruition in 2025. Hargrave was already 32, and concerns about doling out that kind of cash for a player on the wrong side of 30 after an injury were in the back of fans’ minds. He ended up playing decently, racking up 52 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Still, Jalen Redmond‘s emergence makes this decision straightforward.
Meanwhile, the Vikings may not even need to cut Kelly. After three concussions in one year, the center may decide to hang up the cleats for good. Still, if he’s not a straight-up cut, he’s an easy renegotiation. There won’t be many other teams looking for a center with his age and injury history.
Once free agency rolls around, Minnesota will have very few difficult decisions to make on its roster with the 18 impending free agents. Players like Jalen Redmond, Eric Wilson, or Ryan Wright are immediate re-signs. Wilson has carved out a nice role here after notching 6.5 sacks in 2025, and his age could keep his value relatively reasonable. As far as Wright goes, the man could average 12 yards per punt for all fans care as long as nothing changes about Will Reichard’s All-Pro caliber routine.
The tricky question is what to do with receiver Jalen Nailor.
Nailor has steadily improved over his four seasons in Minnesota and set career highs in catches and yards with 29 and 444, respectively, in 2025. And despite being WR3 for the Vikings, he’s shown to have a nice connection with J.J. McCarthy and scored more touchdowns than Justin Jefferson or Jordan Addison this year. According to Spotrac, his AVV is just shy of $5 million. Still, his league value feels closer to $10 million per year, making him a fairly expensive third wideout, knowing that Addison’s huge extension is looming.
Jefferson’s current deal averages $35 million per year. With Addison projected to be around $25 million, a deal with Nailor would make for one of the league’s most expensive receiver rooms.
When the draft finally approaches, Minnesota’s five-game win streak to end the season makes their first -round choice an easy one: best available. Long-rumored targets like running back Jeremiyah Love or safety Caleb Downs will be off the board by the Vikings’ No. 18 pick, leaving them with the option to trade back or stick and pick with what’s left.
With projected needs at pretty much every position group that isn’t receiver or offensive line, the Vikings have the luxury of taking the best player available. It’s likely going to be a cornerback or defensive tackle based on recent mocks, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a fan disappointed with that choice.
The offseason will bring plenty of chaos, but for Minnesota, a lot of its looming decisions have easy answers. Easy, however, doesn’t mean unimportant, and there are still plenty of opportunities to either improve or regress heading into a crucial season.
