June 1 Brings the Vikings a Chunk of Salary Cap Space: What's Next?

The Vikings received an infusion of cap space today. What might they do with it?

Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is seen during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

For much of May, after signing Jauan Jennings, the Vikings were pretty tightly up against the salary cap, with maybe 1 or 2 million dollars to spare. That changed on Monday, as the NFL's June 1 processing date provided Minnesota with a solid chunk of cap space.

The Vikings released defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in March with a post-June 1 designation, allowing them to spread out the dead cap hits over 2026 and 2027. That transaction is now official, which clears $11.2 million in cap space for this year, per Over the Cap. The Vikings also get another $1.3 million from Harrison Smith's contract coming off the books, bringing the total to $12.5M.

Also worth noting when it comes to Allen is that the Vikings will get an $8 million cap credit in 2027 because of the deal he signed with the Bengals this year, dropping his dead cap number for next year to just $4.67 million.

For 2026, only the Dolphins (at over $21 million) saw a bigger infusion of cap space among NFL teams on Monday, though the Packers ($11.5M) aren't far behind the Vikings in that regard. The next logical question, of course, is what the Vikings and new general manager Nolan Teasley might be inclined to do with that money.

The boring but logical answer, at least for right now, is to hold onto it and wait. It's perhaps possible that the Vikings have something lined up with a free agent and were waiting until June to have the cap space, but that doesn't seem particularly likely. Teasley has other things to do upon arriving in Minnesota than dip into free agency.

Still, having the flexibility of $13M-$14M in cap space moving forward will be nice. At some point, a chunk of that could be used to sign a veteran edge rusher who can help replace some of the production lost by trading Jonathan Greenard. Some of the money could be earmarked for an addition at safety, whether it's Smith coming back or someone else. Those are the two positions where the Vikings could most use some help, although you could also make an argument for center.

But there's probably no need to rush a signing at this point. The Vikings, like the rest of the league, can take the next few weeks to continue evaluating their team in OTAs and minicamp, then continue to do so in training camp. As the season approaches, injuries or camp performances will reveal needs for teams and create homes for the remaining free agents.