The Vikings Will Have a Comical 2026 Free Agency Class
This offseason, about half of the Vikings’ roster was set to enter free agency, including major contributors such as the starting quarterback and running back, as well as five of the top six defensive backs (and their primary backups). In 2026, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah won’t have nearly as many items on his to-do list.
The Vikings Will Have a Comical 2026 Free Agency Class
In fact, his list of pending free agents is laughable because it barely exists.
The 2026 Free Agents
Let’s take a look at the guys the Vikings could lose next year.
That list includes safety Harrison Smith. He has a contract option, but he won’t play for that money because it is too high. The club would either release him (highly unlikely), sign him to a new deal (as they have in the last few years), or, unfortunately, the most likely scenario, he will retire. Smith will be 37 years old next offseason.
The next more prominent name is Jalen Nailor. He has developed into a reliable WR3 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and has shown playmaking ability and a knack for finding the endzone. His rookie contract will expire, and his performance in 2025 will likely determine his market value. Drafting Tai Felton already prepared the team for his departure.
Fullback C.J. Ham is also in the final year of his contract. He just turned 32 years old and has been a career Viking. His position value isn’t high, and the Vikings could just re-sign him for about $3 million a season.
Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. is set to become a restricted free agent. The Vikings have all the leverage and can either sign him to a cheap tender or a real contract extension. Punter Ryan Wright has not been irreplaceable, but he signed a one-year extension earlier this offseason. Of course, a punter won’t break the bank either.
Long snapper Andrew DePaola is a perennial Pro Bowler. He’s making about $1.3 million, which is another doable extension if he wants to keep playing, as he’s about to turn 38 years old. Runner Ty Chandler is in his contract year, but he’s not even guaranteed a spot on this year’s team, let alone a contract extension.
All other pending free agents are players that were acquired this offseason on one-year deals, such as Sam Howell, Jeff Okudah, Justin Skule, Eric Wilson, or Rondale Moore. Re-signing any of those won’t be too expensive either.
Compared to 2025, Adofo-Mensah will have a quiet March. All the pending free agents are either role players, guys on the brink of retirement, or on one-year deals anyway.
Why Is That the Case?
There are a few reasons for that. For one, the Vikings blew the 2022 draft, and the contracts of that class expire next offseason. Besides Nailor and Chandler, those guys are no longer around.
Another reason is the fact that the Vikings handed out numerous contract extensions this offseason. Andrew Van Ginkel signed for an extra year, and so did Josh Metellus and Josh Oliver. Aaron Jones, Theo Jackson, and Byron Murphy Jr. got extensions beyond the 2025 season prior to this year’s free agency.
Furthermore, all top free-agency additions (Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Will Fries, Ryan Kelly) signed for at least two seasons. The Vikings used the cap space of 2025 and 2026 to build a roster for both years. They are already over next season’s cap limit, so don’t expect the club to have much roster turnover in 2026.
The roster is set for two seasons. Next March will be much quieter than the eventful free agency periods in recent memory.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.