Do The Vikings Boast a Franchise Tag Candidate?
Not too often do the Vikings lean on the franchise tag. Last time, the salary cap strategy got applied to safety Anthony Harris, someone who was excellent before coming back down to earth in short order.
Does the tag get deployed in 2026? Not likely.
Punter Ryan Wright is moving toward free agency. The specialist got added following the 2022 NFL Draft, meaning he’s perhaps the most promising add from the cluster of young talent to get grafted onto the roster at that time. Could he actually demand the tag? Or, perhaps, is there someone else?
Punter Ryan Wright as the Vikings’ Franchise Tag Option
Slapping the franchise tag onto Mr. Wright wouldn’t be cheap. Per Over the Cap, the promising punter would chew up a fully guaranteed $6,900,000 (a projection that can be fine-tuned with more info).
Too much.
At the high-end of the punter market are Michael Dickson and Logan Cooke, both of whom are sitting at roughly $4 million per year on average. Seeing Wright flirt with a touch below $7 million isn’t happening. Much more likely is a scenario where Wright — someone who wants to remain in Minnesota — puts pen to paper for an extension that positions him somewhere within the $3+ million range over multiple seasons.
Next up would be Eric Wilson, the linebacker who exploded under the tutelage of DC Brian Flores.
The upside of applying the franchise tag to Mr. Wilson is that he won’t be allowed to get away. Just as the DC was kept, so can the LB be kept, too. Even better is that the contract commitment is only for a single season, mitigating the long-term risk since the contract buys a single year of football.
The great issue is the cost.
Labelling Wilson as a linebacker means seeing a cap hit coming in at a whopping $28,197,000. Plopping him down on the sheet as an edge rusher isn’t much better. Doing so would mean committing $27,322,000 to Wilson. Zero chance either of those options get applied to the off-ball linebacker who also played plenty of edge rusher snaps.
Scroll through the list of other Vikings free agents. Nobody is going to demand the franchise tag.
Long snapper Andrew DePaola should be a priority to retain. When he isn’t digging his hands into dough for fresh bagels, DePaola is spinning the ball at an All Pro level. A new deal is to be expected, but he won’t get tagged (too expensive).
Defensive tackle Jalen Redmond is worthy of a large cap hit upon considering his on-field impact. The great issue? Just that he has essentially zero leverage as an exclusive-rights free agent. Minnesota will keep him without the tag.
Receiver Jalen Nailor is a WR3, linebacker Ivan Pace appears to be a trade candidate, and safety Harrison Smith looks likely to retire. Who remains for the franchise tag?
Of all the upcoming free agents, punter Ryan Wright is the most notable name for a franchise tag conversation. But then a quick look at the high-end of the punter market quickly dispels the idea since a league-leading extension would still come in below the cap hit of the tag.
The Vikings are a near certainty to leave the franchise tag unused for 2026.
