4 Underrated Vikings Offseason Moves
Unlike last offseason, the Minnesota Vikings were on the quiet side in free agency in 2026. Four external players joined the club, with Kyler Murray getting most of the attention. However, outside of that addition, the club made (or didn’t make) some moves that are flying under the radar.
Letting Ryan Wright Walk
Punter Ryan Wright got paid this offseason when he joined the New Orleans Saints. His departure came quite surprisingly, as there hadn’t been any rumblings about his exit after four seasons.
The Saints handed him a paycheck of $14 million for four campaigns, ranking him in the top 10 among punter salaries per season and total contract value.
Wright was coming off his best season in the NFL, arguably playing at an elite level, and the Vikings likely got worse at the position. Still, most punters are replaceable and paying elite punter money to a player with just one good season seems like an overpay.
Hockenson and Jones Restructured, Not Cut
The Vikings made more savings when they restructured contracts with T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones. The veterans were potentially on the chopping block.
Jones even surfaced in reports about his incoming cut, but he ultimately took a pay cut to stay for the second season of his two-year deal. The aging runner is no longer as shifty as he once was and injuries have piled up over the years, but when healthy, he still provided solid play in recent seasons. Finding a replacement at that level would’ve been more expensive.
Hockenson had two more years on his contract. Team and player found a middle ground, removing the 2027 season from that contract entirely. He was due to cost a huge number against the salary cap in both 2026 and 2027, the Vikings simply lowered that burden. The once-productive tight end hasn’t been nearly as dynamic since his nasty knee injury.
Adding Frank Smith
Coaching staff changes generally get overlooked unless the coordinators are part of the overhaul. Vikings assistant head coach Mike Pettine retired this offseason, vacating that position. The club added Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith.
Though it’s unclear what he actually did in Miami with Mike McDaniel calling plays and viewed as the offensive mastermind, Smith certainly helped him navigate the offense. He’s a former prominent offensive line coach and could help Minnesota in that area after a subpar offensive line performance in 2025.
It’s also noteworthy that McDaniel is one of the elite run-game schemers in the NFL; perhaps Smith can bring some of his ideas to the Twin Cities to revive an inconsistent ground attack.
Signing James Pierre
Kyler Murray, Ryan Van Demark, Johnny Hekker, and James Pierre are the four external hires. Enough has been said about Murray’s arrival, but cornerback Pierre could also pay huge dividends.
After a strong season in Pittsburgh, the veteran corner received a two-year, $8.5 million contract from the Vikings to strengthen the secondary. He’ll likely slide into the CB3 role and allow Brian Flores to change his rotation a little. With a dependable third CB on the team, he could increase the percentage of three-corner looks, allowing Byron Murphy to play more in the slot.
Last year’s CB3 was Jeff Okudah, who starred with uneven play and nagging injuries. Depth player Fabian Moreau was decent as an emergency player, but Pierre should have more juice left.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.