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Bercich Breakdown: What will the Vikings do in free agency?
Sunday night on FOX 9 Sports Now, Jim Rich catches up with Pete Bercich from the Vikings Audio Network to discuss what's ahead for the franchise as legal tampering starts Monday, and free agency starts Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The NFL offseason officially kicks off Wednesday with the start of free agency.
But on Monday, teams can start having conversations with free agents for up to 48 hours before deals area agreed to. It’s a huge offseason for the Minnesota Vikings, who missed the NFC Playoffs after a 9-8 finish, and the dismissal of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah from the front office.
So where do things stand with the Vikings ahead of legal tampering? Here’s a look. As of last week, the Vikings were more than $40 million over the salary cap.
Vikings’ restructured contracts
What we know:
According to multiple reports, the Vikings are restructuring the contracts of T.J. Hockenson, Byron Murphy Jr., Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw.
Hockenson is reportedly taking a $5 million pay cut, and the team deleted the final year of his contract. In 15 starts last season, Hockenson had 51 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns.
With the quarterback situation in flux most of last season, Jefferson had 84 catches and a career-low two touchdowns. Darrisaw was in and out of the lineup last season, coming back from a torn ACL.
Who will the Vikings release?
What they're saying:
Reports emerged late last week that the Vikings are set to release running back Aaron Jones and defensive lineman Javon Hargrave if they can’t find a trade partner. Jonathan Allen is also set to be released this week.
Jones missed five games this past season with a hamstring injury, rushing for only 548 yards and two touchdowns. That’s after he ran for a career-high 1,138 yards two seasons ago. Hargrave had 3.5 sacks in 15 starts, while Allen had 3.5 sacks in 17 starts.
Jonathan Greenard trade?
Dig deeper:
Jonathan Greenard’s days with the Vikings may be over after two seasons. The team is reportedly seeking a trader partner to shed his salary after he missed the end of last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery. He had 38 tackles and three sacks in 10 starts.
Ryan Kelly retiring
Big picture view:
The Vikings will be in the market for a new starting center. Ryan Kelly announced his retirement from the NFL late last week. Kelly had two concussions early last season that put him on injured reserve.
Kelly was supposed to be the replacement for Garrett Bradbury, but couldn’t stay healthy.
Vikings QB situation
Timeline:
The biggest offseason talking point for the Vikings is how they’ll handle the quarterback position. Letting Sam Darnold leave in free agency and him ultimately winning a Super Bowl likely played the biggest part in Adofo-Mensah’s firing.
The Vikings have to add a veteran this offseason to, at minimum, push J.J. McCarthy. But several names have already been linked to Minnesota ahead of legal tampering – Kyler Murray, Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins and even Tua Tagovailoa.
Who they decide to add and how much they spend will be the teller if McCarthy is the Week 1 starter in 2026.