Vikings Facing Real Mystery With Jalen Nailor’s Free Agency
Minnesota’s in-house free agency class is pretty small this offseason. If they re-sign exclusive rights free agent Jalen Redmond (and they are widely expected to), the group will feature only two significant contributors: Eric Wilson and Jalen Nailor.
Linebacker Wilson has a decent chance of returning after having a breakout season under Brian Flores. He’s built for a Flores defense. Nailor, meanwhile, is more likely to depart, as the Vikings have already put a lot of capital into Justin Jefferson, while Jordan Addison remains on the team.
The 26-year-old receiver could pursue a sneaky raise, as receivers generally get paid in March. Still, it’s unclear whether he falls into the high-demand player bucket. As always, the NFL is a business and the price tag will directly influence the league’s interest in the player.
This week, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper published his top 150 free agents and he ranked Nailor 29th. Popper also included a contract projection, thinking the 2022 draftee could generate a three-year contract worth $36 million.
That figure would likely be difficult for the Vikings to justify given their current cap priorities.
He wrote, “Nailor’s production does not jump off the screen. The 2022 sixth-round pick had a career-high 444 receiving yards in 2025. But Nailor was playing behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and he dealt with poor quarterback play last season. More importantly, the tape shows a player who is ready to take a big jump in the right environment.”
The number isn’t crazy by any means, however. Last year, Josh Palmer signed for $10 million per year. And so did Dyami Brown and Tutu Atwell. Wideouts, even those without eye-opening production, generally get paid by a receiver-needy team.
But not all of them. Some have to settle for relatively cheap deals. Noah Brown, coming off three consecutive seasons with Nailor-like numbers, signed a one-year deal worth $3.25 million last offseason. Granted, he was 29 when free agency kicked off.
Elijah Moore, once a 2nd-round pick, started his career with over 2,000 yards in four seasons. At 24, he still only received a $2.5 million, one-year deal.
Does Nailor belong in that group rather than the aforementioned WR2 deals? PFF seems to think so, having their very own contract projection. He’d get a one-year contract for $3.5 million.
A problem for Nailor could be that there are some more intriguing players available. Just to name a few, the top free agent receivers include George Pickens, Alec Pierce, and Mike Evans, followed by Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, Romeo Doubs, and Wan’Dale Robinson. PFF has all of those guys scoring at least $14 million annually.
If Nailor doesn’t get the desired interest on the market, a return to the Twin Cities could certainly be on the table. He has been a valuable WR3 for the club, who has shown that he can be a part-time WR2 with Addison sidelined in each of the past two campaigns.
Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling recently commented, “Nailor could be in line for a nice payday after catching 29 passes for 444 yards last season. The Vikings are aware they could lose him on the open market with the 2022 sixth-round pick seeking a multiyear deal. They’d love to have him back, but they may not be able to afford him given their cap constraints.”
After struggling with injuries early in his career, Nailor had a breakout season with 414 yards and six touchdowns in 2024, followed by 444 yards and four scores in 2025. He was the only pass-catcher who maintained steady production despite inconsistent quarterback play. In fact, J.J. McCarthy trusted his receiver more than the others, seemingly having built a connection in the summer.
Nailor has been the one player that can be titled “hit” from the 2022 draft class and he might leave next March. The price tag remains a mystery.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.