The Minnesota Vikings did more with less from a personnel perspective last season by finishing 9-8 on the year, and the franchise may be in for more of the same in 2026.
Minnesota fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah this week after four seasons at the helm and is about to enter the offseason with the third-largest salary cap deficit of any team in the NFL.
The new projection for the 2026 salary cap is approximately $303 million, which puts the team $40.6 million in the red based on numbers calculated by Fox Sports on Friday, January 30.
According to Over the Cap, Minnesota is actually $40.9 million in the red as of Saturday.
In either case, the Vikings’ cap situation ranks 30th in the league as the calendar barrels toward February and free agency looms just 40 days away. Only the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs are currently in worse financial position.
TJ Hockenson Among Players Vikings May Need to Cut to Get Under Salary Cap
GettyTight end TJ Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings.
Continuing on with the notion of doing more with less, Minnesota is going to need to shed a significant amount of salary just to get into position to sign its projected draft picks.
The number of draft choices the Vikings hold could change, though they currently own eight selections including four in the first three rounds: Nos. 18, 49, 82 and 97. Minnesota is going to need to hit on multiple of those picks if it hopes to meaningfully improve this offseason, considering the players who are likely on their way out in the coming weeks.
Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is a strong cut candidate after the Vikings spent $30 million to bring him in on a two-year deal last spring. Hargrave didn’t play up to expectations, and the team can save nearly $11 million by cutting him in March.
Other cuts could come on offense, where Minnesota can save $7.75 million by parting ways with veteran running back Aaron Jones and nearly $16 million by releasing former Pro-Bowl tight end TJ Hockenson with a post-June 1 designation.
Decision to Rush JJ McCarthy Into QB1 Role, Let Sam Darnold Walk Hurt Vikings Last Season
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.
Parting ways with quality offensive players like Hockenson and veteran leadership like Jones constitutes even more difficult decision-making considering the presence of JJ McCarthy as the starting quarterback heading into 2026.
McCarthy, who will play next year at just 23 years old, missed his entire rookie campaign due to a knee injury after Adofo-Mensah drafted him with the No. 10 overall pick in 2024.
The former Vikings GM lost his job in part because he made the decision to let quarterback Sam Darnold depart in free agency after a 14-3 campaign while McCarthy was injured, rushing the young QB into a starting role with zero snaps of regular-season experience.
McCarthy dealt with multiple injury issues over the course of last season as well, ultimately finishing with a 6-4 record across 10 starts. He completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 TDs and 12 INTs while rushing the football for 181 yards and four scores.
Meanwhile, Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to a 14-3 mark, the NFC West Division title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs/a bye through the opening weekend of the postseason. He will start the Super Bowl for the Seahawks eight days from now in Northern California, which Seattle enters as a 4.5-point favorite.
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