If you’re a Minnesota Vikings fan, the dirtiest word in franchise history is up for debate. But while the dirtiest word may contain seven letters, it’s not “Packers” or even “Rodgers.”
It actually starts with an R, and that word is “Rebuild.”
The Vikings have tried to avoid a rebuild forever. They also believe one will scare away players like Justin Jefferson, even if it represents their best opportunity to win a Super Bowl. But with the way things are going, they may be on the verge of coming face to face with that reality, because trade talks have intensified around Jonathan Greenard.
If you were watching high school hockey over the weekend, here’s a quick recap. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Greenard wants a new contract because the four-year, $76 million contract he signed in free agency in the spring of 2024 is below market value. The Vikings are busy scrubbing the “Let Kwesi Cook” era from their history and financial records, so they aren’t willing to pay up as they roll out the red carpet for their next general manager.
It’s a situation that plays out throughout the NFL, and not surprisingly, the Vikings have been here before.
The Vikings had a star pass rusher a few years ago when Danielle Hunter was seeking a new contract. They signed him to a five-year, $72 million extension in the summer of 2018, and Hunter spent the life of that contract racking up 62 sacks and mastering financial gymnastics.
Throughout this saga, the Vikings never traded Hunter because he was an impact player for Mike Zimmer and Brian Flores’s defense. Even when Ed Donatell took over as defensive coordinator during the 2022 season, Hunter still racked up 10.5 sacks while miscast as a stand-up edge rusher.
While he lost the 2020 (neck) and 2021 (torn pectoral muscle) seasons to injuries, Hunter was a four-time Pro Bowler from 2018 to 2023. The Vikings rode him to the end until he signed with the Houston Texans hours after the ink dried on Greenard’s contract in 2024.
As Hunter entered his 30s, many thought he’d continue to age out. However, he’s continued to be one of the game’s best pass rushers. Hunter went to the Pro Bowl and logged 12 sacks in his first season in Houston, and put up another 15 sacks to lead the Houston Texans back to the divisional round last season. Noting his importance, the Texans rewarded him last week with a one-year, $40.1 million contract extension to keep him in the fold through the 2027 season.
Paying your stars is quite the concept, and it’s something the Vikings have to consider with Greenard. Oddly enough, Greenard signed with Minnesota when the Texans decided to pursue Hunter, and he made his first Pro Bowl with 12 sacks. His sack total dropped to three last season. Still, Hunter was in the backfield often, logging 47 pressures and a 16.6% pass-rush win rate in 270 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Dallas Turner’s emergence at the end of the season could play a role in the decision to trade Greenard. But ESPN’s Bill Barnwell noted that of Turner’s eight sacks last season, 2.5 were coverage sacks and another 2.5 were unblocked sacks. Turner’s 4% pressure rate was also nearly half of Greenard’s 8.4% pressure rate last season, creating a big hole to fill if they opt to trade him.
Greenard isn’t a perfect pass rusher, and his 24.4% missed tackle rate gives off vibes of Wile E. Coyote finally catching the Road Runner but having no idea what to do when he gets there.
Regardless, coaches would rather have a defender make an opposing quarterback’s Pop Warner highlights flash before their eyes consistently than have him wrestled to the ground for a couple of sacks a game, and Greenard has done that consistently throughout his career.
That creates an even larger issue with the Greenard decision. If the Vikings trade Greenard, it’s hard to explain how a team that was 4-8 after a November loss to Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks is supposed to become a Super Bowl contender overnight. Many think Kevin O’Connell could find his missing magic wand to turn Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy into a franchise quarterback, but the Vikings already seem to be losing more than they’ve gained.
Jalen Nailor was a key subtraction after agreeing to terms with the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, and punter Ryan Wright is a bigger loss than you think due to his role as Will Reichard’s holder on field goals. The potential of a Jordan Addison trade still looms over the offseason. Therefore, giving away Greenard for what ESPN’s Adam Schefter estimates to be a Day 2 pick almost feels like lighting the 2026 season on fire before it begins.
Of course, that doesn’t sit well in the eyes of the Wilfs, who may have finally realized that the previous GM maxed out their free agent credit card last year and could force the Vikings to get aggressive in a draft class that’s much weaker than its recent counterparts.
No matter how much they want to fight it, trading Jonathan Greenard would be Minnesota’s latest signal that they are heading toward a rebuild, and there might be value in just paying the player and dealing with the consequences later.
