The Vikings’ 5 Largest Cap Hits in 2025 (and the Expectations that Accompany the Money)
Conveniently, there are only a handful of Minnesota players who clear the $10 million threshold. The list of the Vikings’ 5 largest cap hits is thus satisfyingly easy to compile.
Do note, folks, that we’re not talking about the largest contracts overall (or any upcoming cap peril). Rather, we’re dealing with the here and now of the team’s budget. Which players are taking the largest bite out of the pie in 2025? Maybe more importantly, what are the expectations that stand alongside these players who are demanding hearty cap hits?
The Expectations for the Vikings’ 5 Largest Cap Hits
Cap Hit #5
Andrew Van Ginkel
$11,400,000
Be the unique defender who gets shuffled all over the front seven. Very commonly, pin your ears back to get into the backfield, but also make your presence felt at off-ball linebacker and in coverage. That’s what Brian Flores is saying to the man with luscious locks who occupies one of the team’s top EDGE spots.
Signed to a well-earned extension earlier in the offseason, Andrew Van Ginkel is coming off his best season as a pro. He was sent to the Pro Bowl while being named as a second-team All Pro and finished at 7th in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Look for Mr. Van Ginkel to again be a key pass rusher but also someone who makes a quarterback think twice about throwing a bubble screen due to his ability to jump the pass and put up points.
Cap Hit #4
Justin Jefferson
$15,167,600
The expectations for Justin Jefferson? Well, just to be the face of the franchise.
Sure, a quarterback generally has that job but make no mistake: the Vikings are Jefferson’s team until notified otherwise. J.J. McCarthy still has a lot to prove; Jefferson, meanwhile, seems likely to continue rewriting receiver history. Look for him to again be dominant in 2025. Any chance he can flirt with 2K yards in ’25?
Cap Hit #3
T.J. Hockenson
$16,649,118
Get open early and often. Move the sticks. Be faster than a linebacker and too strong for a defensive back. Do those things and Kevin O’Connell will be a happy playcaller.
No shortage of attention is going to go toward slowing down Minnesota’s WR1. T.J. Hockenson’s job is to exploit that reality by walloping the defensive backfield with consistent gains that sometimes become explosive gains. Seeing the tight end up his touchdown-scoring prowess – his career high sits at 6 touchdowns – would be a nice development for player and team alike. The connection between him and J.J. McCarthy is vital.
Cap Hit #2
Jonathan Greenard
$22,300,000
The task involves bringing the “juice.” Put differently, be an every-down menace who inspires fear in blockers.
Piling up sacks is fantastic but only part of the story. More important is an ability to routinely make a quarterback skittish. No quarterback can complete a pass if he’s getting suplexed by a defender, so sacks and hits are indeed part of the broader goal. Even forcing the QB to speed up his progression, though, can be helpful insofar as that can lead to inaccurate passes or even turnovers.
Cap Hit #1
Brian O’Neill
$26,019,114
Brian O’Neill is one of the president’s main bodyguards. A top priority is to ensure that guys like Van Ginkel and Greenard don’t get near the commander in chief (a.k.a J.J. McCarthy).
The stud right tackle has been playing at a high level for a long time. Drafted in 2018 as an athletic, upside lineman at No. 62, O’Neill quickly exceeded expectations and has proven to be a foundational building block. The right tackle earlier discussed how much he wants to win. Seeing him maintain – improve upon? – his excellent play will go a long way in bringing that team goal to fruition.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
