Questions Answered: Thielen’s 2023 Contract, Jared Allen, Value Cap Casualties
Dustin Baker
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The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the February 9th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Questions Answered: Thielen’s 2023 Contract, Jared Allen, Value Cap Casualties
Q: Will the Vikings restructure Adam Thielen’s contract?
A: It sounds like that’s their plan — at least to begin the offseason. Thielen was on The Pat McAfee Show this week.
“We’re working through some stuff because I have a big cap hit,” Thielen replied to McAfee when asked about his 2023 contract in Minnesota.
“They’re gonna try to do something, but we’ll see,” Thielen mentioned about the Vikings prospect of retaining the playmaker.
McAfee then asked Thielen if the contract dealings had begun, and Thielen responded, “They have. We’re in the middle of the conversations.”
Thielen also told ESPN’s First Take Thursday, “I want to retire a Viking. Will that happen? I don’t know. This is also a business. And I also want my opportunity to show that I can play at a high level. So, we’ll see what happens.”
This one sounds like a true 50-50 on his future with the Vikings.
Q: If Jared Allen doesn’t get into the Hall of Fame tonight, is that it for his candidacy?
A: If he is not inducted Thursday night, he’ll have plenty of time to get the nod.
Bryant Young retired in 2007 and didn’t make the HOF until 2022. That would put Allen in the club around 2030 — if he has to wait that long in the first place.
On Thursday night, five Hall of Famers will be announced from this class of finalists:
- Jared Allen
- Willie Anderson
- Ronde Barber
- Dwight Freeney
- Devin Hester
- Torry Holt
- Andre Johnson
- Albert Lewis
- Darrelle Revis
- Joe Thomas
- Zach Thomas
- DeMarcus Ware
- Reggie Wayne
- Patrick Willis
- Darren Woodson
Q: Which players could the Vikings cut to save cap dollars?
A: There are seven:
- Dalvin Cook (RB)
- C.J. Ham (FB)
- Jordan Hicks (LB)
- Eric Kendricks (LB)
- Chris Reed (OG)
- Za’Darius Smith (OLB)
- Adam Thielen (WR)
In theory, if the Vikings released all these players — that probably won’t happen — at smart times on the calendar, they’d free up about $30 to $40 million in cap space.
A handful will depart via release or trade but not all. The two “guarantees” to leave the team are likely Ham and Hicks, as the Vikings hardly used Ham on offense in 2022, and Brian Asamoah is poised to take over Hicks’ starting job.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.