As the Dust Settles, The Vikings’ Budget Sits on a Bit of a Knife’s Edge
At long last, some clarity.
Look at Over the Cap and the Vikings’ budget currently has around $22 million in open room. Not bad, all things considered, but also not the kind of number that can’t be wiped away by a few signings. Indeed, Minnesota could reasonably dip back into free agency following the 2025 NFL Draft — doing so comes with the benefit of not sacrificing any compensatory picks — effectively eliminating the short-term financial flexibility that remains. Would that be a wise approach?
The Vikings’ Budget & The Tricky Balance in 2025
Start off with the outcome that very few are cheering for in Minnesota: a contract for Aaron Rodgers.
If, in the end, the former Packers and Jets passer comes to the Twin Cities, then that open room is going to evaporate in a hurry. Yes, he’ll likely accept less than market value due to his desire to win at the end of his career, but he’s still likely to get a medium deal. Even medium money would mean forfeiting a good portion — the vast majority? — of that cap space.
Let’s proceed, though, under the assumption that Aaron Rodgers goes elsewhere or retires, leaving Minnesota to sign a less-accomplished backup.
If they do so, the Vikings will likely need to hand over anywhere from $5 million to upwards of $10 million (though I think that high number would make them skittish for a true QB2). All we have are assumptions and educated guesses, but let’s say they snag a veteran like Joe Flacco or Drew Lock.
Last year, Flacco commanded $4.5 million while Lock came in at $5 million. A reasonable number, then, could be $5 million. If so, then the $22 million drops down to $17 million.
Consider, as well, another cost that’s yet to hit the books: the 2025 NFL draft class. In a previous piece, there was a discussion of these players bringing a cumulative cap charge sitting at a bit beyond $3 million in 2025. If, however, there’s some trading to add more picks, then the cap cost could rise. So, let’s say that the draftees account for $4 million within the accounting. That drops the number from $17 million to $13 million.
One then thinks of adding another tight end, a position with just a pair of options. So, too, could a high-floor veteran corner make some sense, especially if he has some good size. Surely, there are other roster spots that could similarly use some help.
Now, some good news: there’s going to be a cap infusion in the summer. Garrett Bradbury got cut, but Minnesota did so with a post-June 1 designation. The end result is only getting the added room — $5.25 million — at the beginning of June (plus, the dead money shrinks in 2025 but some does get kicked over into 2026). So, keep in mind that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is planning on gaining a bit of cap space.
The clarity about the Vikings’ budget is largely the result of learning about the precise details about various lower-level signings. Eric Wilson, for instance, carries a $2,600,000 cap charge; Jeff Okudah is coming in at $2,350,000. Jordan Mason is at $2,250,000, Justin Skule at $2,000,000, and Tavierre Thomas at $2,000,000.
None of these deals are backbreaking, but they all take small bites out of the remaining room.
Finally, consider what’s yet to come: the debt in the 2026 budget. The current estimate puts the Vikings at $16.6 million in the red for 2026, meaning cuts, extensions, and restructures will need to occur just to break even. Actually having money to spend means digging even more even these cost-saving strategies.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, of course, is very aware that cap space rolls over in the NFL. The cap space that goes unused in 2025 becomes cap space that can be used in 2026. One wonders, then, if there will be an effort to restrain the spending somewhat as a way of meeting the future cap crunch.
At the top end of the NFL, there’s a team like the Patriots with more than $60 million in cap space. At the bottom end is a team like the Buccaneers, sitting on less than $1 million.
The Vikings are in neither position, but some summer spending alongside the draft haul could lead to a situation where Minnesota finds itself much closer to Tampa Bay than New England.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
