What’s the Most Likely Jonathan Greenard Outcome?
Just three years ago, the Vikings had a veteran pass-rusher under contract who was unhappy with his salary. The Danielle Hunter saga went on for years; he (rightfully so) thought his compensation didn’t match the on-field performance. Furthermore, he didn’t have any guaranteed money left on his deal.
Fast forward to this year. 2024 Pro Bowler Jonathan Greenard is past the guaranteed part of his contract and his $19 million a year paycheck doesn’t match the havoc he’s wreaking on the field.
This offseason, the Vikings have reportedly listened to trade offers for Greenard, but with the price tag listed as a Day 2 pick in addition to the contract rework Greenard is requesting, there hasn’t been any suitor willing to pull the trigger.
At the recent league meeting, head coach Kevin O’Connell told the media, “I expect him to be part of our team. I know there’s always conversations. There’s conversations this week, there’s conversations throughout the offseason.”
The usual coach-speak term if a player might be on his way out is “I’m hopeful” he’ll be part of the team, but O’Connell went the “I expect” route.
The overwhelming majority of trade reports suggest the Vikings are still open to a trade, but only on their conditions, which is a good way to conduct business. Of course, a team could still swoop in, offer a second-rounder, and end Minnesota’s marriage with Greenard.
However, if it hasn’t happened by now, there’s no reason to believe it will moving forward. SI’s Albert Breer even said nobody has come close to striking a deal.
He wrote this week, “Bottom line, a trade would happen because someone swoops in to give him a real raise, and forks over a Day 2 pick. I don’t know that anyone’s gotten close to that yet. But this all started because Greenard reached the end of the guaranteed portion of his contract and is making ‘only’ $19 million this year, and $19 million next year, which is a fraction of what the top edge rushers make. So he wanted a raise. Minnesota wasn’t in a position to give it to him. And I don’t think his camp has found a suitor who was willing to do that, and give up a high-end pick or two.”
It’s a balancing act for the Vikings and their salary cap, as the club even parted ways with several players while negotiating pay cuts with others. With the major free agency period in the rearview mirror, the front office knows by now how much additional funds they could send Greenard’s way.
Ultimately, he’s under contract and the Vikings have all the leverage given nobody else is willing to match both his and the team’s asking prices.
And that’s where Hunter’s solution comes into play.
Not every year was the same, but the Vikings generally took money from the later years of his contract and put it into the upcoming season to satisfy their star defender in the short term, while pretty much saying, “We’ll deal with it later.” In the final year of his contract, as he only had a payout of $5.5 million remaining, Hunter requested a raise and got it. He got a one-year, $20 million deal that included a no-tag clause. A year later, he left for his hometown Texans.
The Greenard solution could be comparable. An option could be a salary adjustment. Looking at his performance and the leaguewide contracts of edge rushers, an asking price of $35 million per year might not be too far-fetched.
Yet, the team and the player have to find a middle ground and $26-30 million could be the sweet spot. That’s what Jaelan Phillips and Trey Hendrickson got this offseason. The deals of Nik Bonitto, Josh Hines-Allen and Brian Burns are also in that range.
Another element is the guarantees that Greenard lacks. A reworked two-year, $56 million deal with most of it guaranteed could be a compromise. The Vikings would keep a locker room leader, who’s pretty good at disrupting plays and the player would get a raise and security.
In 29 games with the Vikings, Greenard has registered 15 sacks and 97 tackles. His sack production dipped in 2025, but the advanced numbers suggested he was just as good, if not better than, he was in his fantastic first campaign.
Greenard remains a focal point of Minnesota’s defensive unit. There’s a good chance a resolution won’t arrive until the summer.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.