The Minnesota Vikings are liable to look meaningfully different next season, as the team faces a $46 million salary cap deficit in 2026 as of Thursday, January 8.
A couple of the franchise’s top-line additions in free agency last spring may well be on the chopping block, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, including four-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
“Javon Hargrave’s and Ryan Kelly’s contracts were structured as two-year deals with off-ramps after the first season. This was a hedge,” Lewis wrote. “If either player performed well beyond expectations in 2025, the Vikings would benefit. If they suffered injuries or played below their cost, the Vikings would have the ability to move on this spring.”
Concussions Plagued Ryan Kelly in First Season With Vikings
GettyMinnesota Vikings center Ryan Kelly.
Kelly, 32, came over from the Indianapolis Colts this offseason via free agency on a two-year deal worth $18 million total. Unfortunately, injuries shortened his regular season from the typical 17 games down to just eight starts. Kelly suffered three concussions in 2025 and finished the campaign on the injured reserve list (IR).
Hargrave, 32, is entering the second season of a two-year deal worth $30 million.
Kelly served as perhaps the single greatest health concern on an offensive line that saw all five intended starters play together almost not at all in 2025 (83 total snaps), primarily due to injury issues.
“The center position sits among the Vikings’ top priorities this spring alongside quarterback, safety, defensive line and cornerback,” Lewis continued. “However, [left tackle Christian] Darrisaw’s health and availability for next season are unquestionably among the team’s most important considerations.”
Moving on from Kelly will save Minnesota $8.75 million against the cap and creates a dead cap hit of just under $3.4 million. Letting loose Hargrave is worth $11 million in savings with a dead cap hit just shy of $10.5 million.
TJ Hockenson, Aaron Jones Potential Cap Casualties for Vikings This Offseason
GettyMinnesota Vikings tight end TJ Hockenson.
Other potential cut candidates in Minnesota include running back Aaron Jones and TJ Hockenson.
Jones represents $8 million in cap savings ($6.8 million cap hit), while Hockenson could save the team $16 million in 2026 with a post-June 1 designation. Parting ways with the two-time Pro Bowl tight end after that date would also clear $18 million off the salary cap in 2027 and lead to just $5.3 million dead cap hits in both years.
Hockenson, who will play next season at 29 years old, represents the same cap value as a trade option. He has not been a Pro Bowler since 2022, but he did produce 95 catches for 960 receiving yards and five TDs in 2023.
Hockenson suffered a torn ACL near the end of that campaign and played just 10 games the following year. He was healthy this season, but poor offensive line play dictated Hockenson stay in and pass block at a higher rate than ever before in his career.
A string of subpar quarterbacks didn’t help his stat line, as Hockenson finished the campaign with 51 catches for 438 yards and three scores.
Thus, there might be a deal out there for Hockenson, though it is unlikely the Vikings could move him at his current salary given the downward trajectory of his production across multiple campaigns.
Potential trade suitors would be less concerned about forfeiting a Day 3 pick for the tight end than they would be about picking up the final two years on his $66 million contract, with base salaries of $15.4 million and $17.4 million in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
There may be a compromise, in which Hockenson agrees to a restructured deal and pay cut that allow him to remain in Minnesota moving forward.
Vikings ‘Likely to Cut’ 4-Time Pro Bowl Starter & $30 Million DT Amid Roster Revamp