Vikings Ranked Near Top of NFL in Future Salary Cap Health

The Vikings' future obviously hinges on their quarterback decision next offseason. That decision alone will go a long way towards determining the success of the franchise's current era.

But when zooming out and considering the whole picture, the Vikings might be in a better spot than some think, in part due to their approach of shedding expensive veterans this offseason. It's a team with plenty of talent on the roster — led by young stars like Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw — and ample cap space in the next few years.

PFF's Brad Spielberger recently ranked all 32 teams by their salary cap health, and the Vikings checked in near the top of the league at 6th.

The rankings were determined using five criteria: Top 51 veteran valuation, active draft capital, 2023-25 cap space, total prorated money, and 2024 free agent valuation. It's worth checking out the article for the full numbers and details on what each category means, but here are the basics.

Top 51 veteran valuation: The total value of a team's top 51 players, excluding 2023 draft picks. The Vikings rank 9th in this category.
Active draft capital: The total value of a team's rookie-contract players, including 2023 draft picks. The Vikings rank 11th.
2023-25 cap space: Pretty straightforward. These are projections for a team's effective cap space this year and in the next two offseasons. The Vikings rank 9th.
Total prorated money: Dead cap space. Sunk costs a team has to work around. The Vikings rank 9th.
2024 free agent valuation: The value each team is set to lose in free agency next year. The Vikings rank 27th.

Here's Spielberger on the Vikings:

Minnesota moved on from a number of longtime veterans, including wide receiver Adam Thielen and linebacker Eric Kendricks, but didn’t tumble too far down the list here, as they’ve managed to turn their situation into a very balanced approach.

The Vikings still show up well here in large part because their top talent play premium positions. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson, edge defender Danielle Hunter and starting tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill are all among the best at their respective position groups. After trading Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns, will Minnesota find a way to extend Hunter, or will they further gut a defense that already struggled mightily in 2022?

The challenge comes when the Vikings finally try to replace quarterback Kirk Cousins, which they seem prepared to do with no new contract signed thus far as we move toward training camp.

Spielberger ranked the Vikings 14th last year and 15th in 2021, so they've taken a clear step forward this year. That's a credit to GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who recognized that last year's 13-win season was unsustainable and moved on from numerous veterans in order to create a healthier path into the future.

The Vikings have young star talent at important positions. Now they just need to get the quarterback decision right in 2024.

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