Free agency will be upon us in a month. There is a lot of work to be done and the Bermuda Triangle of Responsibility has a lot of work to do. Yore AI question of the day which I did NOT verify the accuracy because I am simply too lazy. “minnesota vikings free agency outlook […]
Free agency will be upon us in a month. There is a lot of work to be done and the Bermuda Triangle of Responsibility has a lot of work to do.
Yore AI question of the day which I did NOT verify the accuracy because I am simply too lazy.
“minnesota vikings free agency outlook 2026 after firing kwesi adofo-mensah”
The Minnesota Vikings fired General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on January 30, 2026 , following a disappointing 2025 season that saw the team miss the playoffs despite an aggressive spending spree. The organization has appointed Rob Brzezinski, the longtime Executive Vice President of Football Operations and salary cap specialist, as the interim lead for the front office through the 2026 NFL Draft.
2026 Financial Situation
The Vikings enter the 2026 offseason with one of the most challenging cap situations in the league due to the “all-in” approach taken in 2025.
- Cap Deficit: The team is projected to be between $40 million and $50 million over the salary cap.
- Effective Cap Space: When factoring in draft picks, the deficit is estimated at roughly -$50.5 million, the second-lowest in the NFL.
- Cap Management: Interim GM Rob Brzezinski is expected to lead the cleanup. Significant space can be cleared by restructuring stars like Justin Jefferson (up to $19M-$31M in savings) and Brian O’Neill.
Roster Outlook & Potential Casualties
To reach cap compliance and afford new additions, the team may move on from several high-profile veterans:
- Javon Hargrave (DL): A likely cap casualty who would free up $11 million.
- Ryan Kelly (C): After an injury-plagued season, his release would save $12.1 million.
- T.J. Hockenson (TE): A trade or release could save approximately $9 million.
- Aaron Jones (RB): Releasing the 31-year-old veteran would free up $7.2 million to $8 million.
Key Pending Free Agents
The new front office must decide on roughly 20 pending free agents:
- Harrison Smith (S): The franchise icon is widely expected to retire this offseason.
- Jalen Nailor (WR): Coming off a productive 2025 season (444 yards, 4 TDs), his return is uncertain as his market value has risen.
- Jalen Redmond (DT): Emerged as a standout defensive player in 2025 and is considered a top priority for re-signing.
- Other UFAs: Ty Chandler (RB), Eric Wilson (LB), and backup QB Carson Wentz.
Future Leadership Search
While Brzezinski will handle the immediate free agency and draft cycles, the search for a permanent GM will begin after the April draft.
Priorities: The new regime will be tasked with finding a viable backup/competitor for J.J. McCarthy, who struggled in his first year as a starter, and replenishing a roster depleted of young talent due to recent poor draft classes
Top Candidates: Early speculation links the Vikings to George Paton (current Broncos GM and former Vikings executive) and John McKay (Rams Assistant GM).
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
For Vikings, Everything Rides on Kevin O’Connell’s Shoulders Now
The Vikings have now made their choice. After several weeks of deliberation from ownership, Adofo-Mensah was let go. Meanwhile, this is what owner Mark Wilf said about O’Connell on Friday: “We have all the confidence in the world in Coach O’Connell. He’s done an excellent job as our head coach.” Where other teams have fired their head coach this offseason and kept the GM around, the Vikings went the other way — and for understandable reasons.
O’Connell is the Vikings’ head coach, but he’s also essentially the CEO of the organization. After ownership, everything the team does moving forward begins with O’Connell. He’s going to be the one leading the most important item on the franchise’s agenda this offseason, which is how to address the quarterback position by either bringing in a high-level starter or adding competition for McCarthy. He’ll have major influence on free agent signing and possible trades, especially involving players on the offensive side of the ball. And when it comes time to make draft picks in late April, it feels safe to assume O’Connell will have the final say in the war room.
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It’s already been widely reported that O’Connell wasn’t fully on board to start J.J. McCarthy in 2025, believing that the young quarterback wasn’t ready yet. However, O’Connell seemed to be a driving factor in bringing the Michigan signal-caller to Minnesota. The question now is, does he think McCarthy will be ready for 2026?
If O’Connell still isn’t fully bought in, the Vikings could do much more than simply bring in a solid veteran to compete. O’Connell has his exit ramp if he wants to turn on the blinker.
The Vikings Are A Stack Of Dynamite and Kevin O’Connell Is Holding the Match
7 Candidates to Be the Minnesota Vikings’ Next General Manager
Ed Dodds, Colts
Dodds is someone who feels almost overdue for an opportunity to be a general manager. He’s been involved in several searches in recent years, even becoming a finalist for the Titans’ job a year ago. Dodds got his start as a scouting intern with the Raiders in 2003 and then spent a decade with the Seahawks, first as a scout and later as a senior personnel executive under John Schneider. Since 2018, he’s been the Colts’ assistant GM under Chris Ballard. The résumé is there.
Broncos Want To Extend GM George Paton; Vikings On Radar?
George Paton has completed one of the more interesting GM recovery efforts in recent memory. After a disastrous 2022 offseason that brought the Nathaniel Hackett hire and the Russell Wilson trade/extension sequence, the veteran GM has presided over a Broncos turnaround.
Denver overcame two years of historic Wilson dead money to make the playoffs in both seasons, including a 2025 No. 1 seed and AFC championship game berth. When Paton took over for John Elway in 2021, he signed a six-year contract. That makes 2026 a platform year. Although Paton is technically a lame duck as it stands, the Broncos want to keep his partnership with Sean Payton going long term.
“We’d love to have both of them here long term,’’ Broncos CEO Greg Penner said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “I think the partnership they’ve created and how they work together, it’s very complementary. In terms of their contracts, those are things that we’ll always deal with on a personal basis in private and take that as it comes.”
Minnesota Vikings get trade price for Kyler Murray
“As CBS Sports’ Joel Corry notes, Murray’s situation will need to come to a head before March 15th (the fifth day of the 2026 league year), as that’s when his $19.7 million base salary for 2027 becomes fully guaranteed,” Sullivan writes. “With that in mind, this potential trade could come together early in the offseason. Another factor that could drive a Murray trade is that the quarterback class at the 2026 NFL Draft isn’t particularly strong, so teams may be more inclined to target a veteran like Murray. As for a possible return, the Seahawks secured a third-round pick in exchange for Geno Smith a year ago. When healthy, Murray is a much more talented quarterback, so the Cardinals should be looking at an earlier Day 2 pick in the form of a second-rounder.”
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Note: be thankful I am not the GM because this would be a done deal for me.
10 Senior Bowl Standouts Who Could Be Minnesota Vikings Draft Targets
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Lunchbreak: Daniel Jeremiah & Matt Bowen Weigh in on Intriguing NFL Draft, FA Prospects
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Vikings offered giant trade package to Patriots for QB Drake Maye
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Justin Jefferson: ‘I definitely feel like we would have done better’ if Vikings kept Sam Darnold
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Vikings DC Brian Flores Will Make More Than $6MM On New Deal
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Vikings Announce 3 Additions to, 1 Promotion in Kevin O’Connell’s Coaching Staff
Yore Mock
Trade Partner: Ravens
Sent: Pick 1.18
Received: Pick 1.30, Pick 2.45
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Trade Partner: Steelers
Sent: Pick 2.49
Received: Pick 2.53, Pick 4.135
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Trade Partner: Patriots
Sent: Pick 3.82
Received: Pick 3.88, Pick 5.169
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Trade Partner: Eagles
Sent: Pick 5.135, Pick 7.234, 2027 MIN 6th
Received: Pick 4.122
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Trade Partner: Giants
Sent: Pick 7.244, 2027 NYJ 6th
Received: Pick 1.191
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Pick 30. Kenyon Sadiq TE Oregon 6’3″ 245
Pick 45. Keionte Scott CB Miami (FL) 6’0″ 194
Pick 53. Dillon Thieneman S Oregon 6’0″ 205
Pick 88. Domonique Orange DT Iowa State 6’4″ 325
Pick 97. Sam Hecht OC Kansas State 6’4″ 300
Pick 122. Mike Washington Jr. RB Arkansas 6’2″ 228
Pick 156. Josh Cameron WR Baylor 6’1″ 224
Pick 169. Kaleb Elarms-Orr LB TCU 6’2″ 230
Pick 191. Caden Curry EDGE Ohio State 6’3″ 260
Pick 235. Drew Allar QB Penn State 6’5″ 235
Pick 240. Riley Nowakowski FB/HB Indiana 6’2″ 249
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Category: General Sports
