One Surprise Release Just Got Interesting for the Vikings
With free agency just days away, the Minnesota Vikings still have several roster questions to address, including along the offensive line. Center could quietly become one of the more important spots to monitor, especially given Ryan Kelly’s recent concussion issues and uncertain availability moving forward.
That situation became more interesting this week after the Commanders surprisingly released veteran center Tyler Biadasz, instantly adding an experienced starter to an already solid free-agent market at the position.
Why was he released? The reasoning behind the release has not been fully clarified publicly.
Jeremy Brener of SI.com commented, “Biadasz carried a cap hit of nearly $11 million for this season, but the Commanders are saving $2.8 million by releasing him ahead of the new league year. Biadasz was a massive help for Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels when he was coming into the league, so this is a big loss for Washington in the long run.”
The blocker entered the league in 2020, when the Dallas Cowboys acquired him in the 4th round. He appeared in 12 games (4 starts) in his rookie season and has been a full-time starter since 2021, starting 80 of the 85 possible games over the last four seasons.
Once his rookie contract expired in 2024, Biadasz switched sides in the NFC East rivalry, becoming the man in the middle of the line for the Commanders.
According to quarterback Jayden Daniels, the experienced snapper has been a massive help in his career. He said in his rookie season in 2024,
“Anything I ever needed, man, Tyler is always there, always checking up on me. We check up on each other, so we’re just building that relationship outside of football because, man, that’s important for us to, not just me, but me and the whole line to get to know each other outside of football. … Communication. I mean, that’s the biggest thing. That’s what we preach on the offensive side of the ball, especially the quarterback, center and running backs because we all got to communicate where we’re going, what we’re doing. I’m going to be on the same page.”
The Vikings hoped quarterback J.J. McCarthy and center Ryan Kelly could achieve such a relationship, but McCarthy was limited to ten games, Kelly to eight. Three separate concussions have put Kelly’s playing future in jeopardy. From a salary perspective, the Vikings could save over $8 million by moving on. Adding the reliable Biadasz on a comparable salary is realistic.
Brener added, “The player that eventually replaces Biadasz will have big shoes to fill, but the hope is that he will be able to work well with Daniels as he tries to navigate the new aspects of the offense that David Blough is looking to incorporate next season.”
In 2025, Biadasz ranked the 12th-best of 37 centers on PFF, grading well in both run and pass blocking.
At 28, he should have some decent football left and the Vikings can talk to him as soon as they want, as he was released. There’s no reason to wait until the legal tampering window opens next month.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.