Buffalo Bills' Newest Trade Target Is Pro Bowl Pass Rusher Now Available

The offseason is starting to heat up for the Buffalo Bills.

Among the many names that have been linked to the Bills on the trade market in the days leading up to the official start to the 2026 league year is Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Jonathan Greenard, who suddenly became available on Tuesday.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Vikings are now open to trading Greenard as they work through salary cap issues. The 2024 Pro Bowler is coming off a down season impacted by injury in which he recorded just three sacks in 12 games played. However, in the previous two seasons combined, he totaled 24.5 sacks and 33 tackles for loss.

His presence would instantly improve Buffalo's subpar pass rush, which vastly underperformed this past year.

More details

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) ruses the ball against Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

According to Spotrac, the team acquiring Greenard via trade would take on $19 million each in 2026 and 2027. The six-year veteran signed a four-year deal with the Vikings in 2024, with his cap number for the upcoming campaign currently sitting at $22.3M.

If Minnesota were to execute a trade involving Greenard, it would generate about $12M in cap savings. The Vikings are currently about $45 million over the salary cap with the new league year set to begin on Mar. 11.

The Bills are about $9 million over the salary cap, but have a number of different maneuvers that would allow them to clear cap space over the next week.

Projecting the position

Greenard sustained a shoulder injury in Week 10, which eventually required surgery, ending his second season in Minnesota after four years in Houston with the Texans from 2020 to 2023. The soon-to-be 29-year-old is a former third-round pick of the 2020 draft.

The Bills are in obvious need of linebacker help this offseason. Veterans Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson will hit free agency, while the team’s top two rostered LBs, Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams, don’t exactly inspire a boatload of confidence as the team enters the 2026 season under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

Additionally, Leonhard will deploy a 3-4 alignment defensively, which is a shift from what the Bills have used—a 4-3 front—for the past many years and personnel changes must be made to complement that transition. Greenard comes from a 3-4 scheme in Minnesota, so he could potentially fit right in for Buffalo as a much-needed boost for its pass rush.

The Bills will likely see pass rushers Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa depart through free agency this offseason, increasing the team’s need for additional pieces on the edge heading into the 2026 campaign.

Buffalo finished 12th in the league in quarterback pressure rate (35.4%) a season ago, per Next Gen Stats and could use all the help it can get in that department this offseason. Completing a trade for Greenard would be a good start.