A List of 10 Key Vikings Who Could Walk Away After the 2026 NFL Season
Several key Vikings are moving into the final year of their deals. As a result, there’s a possibility of seeing them walk away from Minnesota after the upcoming season concludes.
Rob Brzezinski has done a lot in his short time as the fill-in GM. Sometimes, the decisions he has made have been to arrive at no decision at all. Players have been allowed to flirt with the final year of their deals as the 2026 NFL Draft lingers. Presumably, some of the fellas below will put pen to paper, extending contracts in an effort to alleviate the present-day cap crunch while keeping key players around beyond the upcoming season.
For the most part, the players included below are ones who are working into the final year of their deals. The single-season contracts for an add like Ryan Van Demark or retention like Jalen Redmond aren’t included.
Check out how things look.
10 Key Vikings in Contract Years
Blake Brandel, 29, Offensive Line
The large lad can do it all. Quite literally, Brandel can jump into any of the offensive line’s five positions, making him uniquely valuable as a depth option for the Vikings. Does he actually get a legit shot at becoming the starting center?
Blake Cashman, 29, Linebacker
Cashman isn’t a perfect linebacker. He is, nevertheless, a very good linebacker, as he has demonstrated with the Vikings in 2024 and 2025. He does a nice job of stacking tackles when defending the run; so, too, is he a competent player in coverage. His lone real flaw is that he gets dinged up, needing time in the infirmary with some consistency within his career.
T.J. Hockenson, 28, Tight End
The pass catcher hasn’t yet returned to the excellence he showed for the majority of the 2023 season. The key divide between Hockenson’s 2023 self and his present-day self is the major knee injury he suffered against the Lions. Can he push his game higher as he functions within a contract year?
Aaron Jones, 31, Running Back
The Vikings have a lot of strong leaders. Even among those options, Mr. Jones stands out as an exemplary player. Any young fella should watch what Jones does and then do likewise. He’s a tough, competitive player who works hard. Versatile, too. Age and injury are the problems.
Jordan Mason, 26, Running Back
He has more wiggle and athleticism than he’s given credit for. Watch Mason glide horizontally before finding a crease to explode through. Nobody thinks back to Jamaal Charles, Chris Johnson, or other runners who move like poetry in shoulder pads. Mason, though, is a strong player who should be kept around beyond 2026.
Ivan Pace Jr., 25, Linebacker
Mr. Pace is the exception as it relates to who is being included in the list. The linebacker got retained as an RFA even as I’ve often insisted that he’s a trade candidate. His status on the roster is a fascinating story to watch given that Minnesota could use the cap space he’s chewing up while yet being a team that desperately needs young talent with upside.
Isaiah Rodgers, 28, Corner
Speed and playmaking is the name of the game for the CB2. He has good confidence and is well-liked. Watch for a deal to keep him around so he can continue being a Vikings player for several more years.
Brian O’Neill, 30, Right Tackle
Keeping the rugged right tackle around appears to be the move. An extension, the likeliest outcome by a Minnesota mile, could clear $14.16 million for the 2026 budget. Of all the players included here, O’Neill’s ongoing job as a Vikings stalwart appears near certain.
Andrew Van Ginkel, 30, Edge Rusher
Not everyone will agree, but my belief nevertheless: Andrew Van Ginkel is Minnesota’s best player if we exclude Justin Jefferson from consideration. Nobody is better than the EDGE1 on Brian Flores’ side of the ball. Van Ginkel is an elite athlete, a cyborg who best demonstrates what it means to be a Flores defender.
Jay Ward, 25, Safety
Give former Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah credit for scooping up the LSU safety in the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s long and rangy. A good blitzer, physical tackler, and someone who is on the ascent. Nice draft pick.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.
