Jalen Redmond's Breakout Is Leaving Vikings With an Interesting Conundrum

The Minnesota Vikings moved on from veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave this offseason and drafted two players in the 2026 NFL Draft to replace them. The team used a first-round pick on Caleb Banks and a third-round pick on Domonique Orange to fill those gaps heading into this season.

The forgotten man in that equation was Jalen Redmond. A 27-year-old defensive lineman in his third NFL season. He has earned a huge role with the Vikings, as evidenced by his snap counts increasing with every passing year.

Now, his impact on Minnesota's defensive line can't be ignored. He has a Pro Football Focus grade of 76.6 through the Vikings' first five games, registering nine quarterback pressures, 15 combined tackles, two pass deflections, and one forced fumble in 236 defensive snaps.

The Minnesota Vikings may have to make a tough decision on Jalen Redmond after the 2026 NFL season

Typically, seeing a player like Redmond thrive in Minnesota's defense wouldn't be a problem. However, he is a restricted free agent after this year and should be in line for a healthy increase in pay for 2027 and beyond.

Redmond's price tag could be around $15 million per year based on the salaries earned by players like Broncos defender D.J. Jones and the Colts' Grover Stewart.

While that doesn't sound like a lot of money, the Vikings are expected to have about $35 million of cap space next season and have a long list of players like Andrew Van Ginklel, T.J. Hockenson, Blake Cashman, Isaiah Rodgers, and more who need to be re-signed.

The Vikings still have salary cap wizard Rob Brzezinski in the front office, so it will be interesting to see what kind of magic he can work with the team's contracts during the offseason, but at least for now, it looks like keeping Redmond around could be a challenge.

Considering Redmond's youth and ability, he will be a player who Minnesota wants to keep around. Putting him on the defensive line with Banks and Orange sounds like a great recipe for the future of the Vikings' defensive line, but the team will need to figure out a way to make that happen by navigating the salary cap.

Redmond is currently the top-graded defensive tackle against the run in the NFL, according to PFF, and would be a great player to have on the defensive line in the future, especially if Banks and Orange can step into a starting role for the Purple and Gold when they are ready.

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