Free Agent Center Prices Could Lead Vikings to Go Draft Route Instead

If the Vikings want to sign a starting center in free agency, it won't come cheap.

Dec 7, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers' Sean Rhyan (75) blocks Chicago Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings (97) while providing pass protection during the first quarter at Lambeau Field. | Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Network v

If the Vikings want to sign a starting center in free agency, it's going to cost them. They need to find a replacement for Ryan Kelly, who announced his retirement on Friday, but the price point on a few recent center contracts could cause Minnesota to look towards the draft instead.

In the last few days, three different centers have come off the market prior to the beginning of free agency, dwindling the supply a bit for teams with a need at the position.

March 6: Tyler Biadasz signs a three-year, $30 million deal with the Chargers after being cut by the Commanders.
March 7: Bills re-sign Connor McGovern on four-year, $52 million contract.
March 8: Packers re-sign Sean Rhyan on three-year, $33 million deal.

That's $10 million a year for Biadasz, $13 million for McGovern, and $11 million for Rhyan. $10 million a year seems to be the baseline price for a proven starting center. The Vikings have cleared up enough cap space to make some additions this week, but will they want to allocate that much of their budget to one of the few remaining center options?

It seems very unlikely that the Vikings will be in on the top free agent center, Baltimore's Tyler Linderbaum. He's expected to get at least $20 million per year, which will make him the highest-paid center in the NFL.

Beyond Linderbaum, Carolina's Cade Mays now stands out as the likely No. 2 option on the market. He figures to get a deal in the $10-13 million range. The other remaining free agent centers who played at least 600 offensive snaps last season are Ethan Pocic (Browns), Lloyd Cushenberry III (Titans), Graham Glasgow (Lions), and Luke Fortner (Saints).

The Vikings do have a couple in-house center options in Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens. Brandel made six starts at center last season while Kelly was sidelined by concussions. He filled in admirably at that spot, but the Vikings may want to have him as a depth lineman who can play all five positions. Jurgens also saw time last year, but the former seventh-round pick ranked 37th out of 40 centers (minimum 300 snaps) in PFF grade.

If the Vikings don't want to pay up for a free agent center, they could look to the draft in April to find their future starter. There are a number of players whose value may align with one of Minnesota's two third-round picks. Those include Connor Lew (Auburn), Jake Slaughter (Florida), Logan Jones (Iowa), and a few others. A plan that makes plenty of sense is for the Vikings to draft a center and have them compete with Brandel and Jurgens for the job in 2026.