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Minnesota Vikings 2026 Free Agency Tracker: Day 3 News and Rumors

Tracking all of the major Vikings news and rumors on the third day of NFL free agency.
Joe Nelson|
Aug 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Aug 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

The final hours of legal tampering are upon us, and the NFL's 2026 league year starts at 3 p.m. CT today. That's when the Arizona Cardinals could release Kyler Murray, and the Atlanta Falcons might do the same with Kirk Cousins.

What will the Vikings do? After signing cornerback James Pierre on Monday, the only move they made on Tuesday was signing All-Pro long snapper Andrew DePaola to a one-year deal. Follow along for today's major Vikings news and rumors.

Top headlines so far:

— Why Some Patience is Required in Vikings' Pursuit of Kyler Murray
— They Lost Their Punter, But Vikings Are Keeping All-Pro Long Snapper
— Jalen Nailor Leaves Vikings, Lands Three-Year Deal With Raiders
— Ryan Wright Signs With Saints, Leaving Vikings in Need of a Punter
— Vikings Signing Veteran Cornerback James Pierre
— Vikings Free Agency Big Board: Top 5 Remaining Targets at Positions of Need
— All Eyes Turn Towards Jonathan Greenard, With NFC Contender Lurking
— No Cap Casualty: Aaron Jones Takes Pay Cut to Remain With Vikings
— All Signs Point to Vikings as Arizona Officially Releases Kyler Murray

7:05 p.m. — Murray scheduled to visit Vikings on Thursday

Arizona-based sports reporter John Gambadoro reported that Murray will visit the Vikings on Thursday, and a deal could get done within the next 24 hours. He also mentions that Murray's camp could pursue other options across the league.

5:30 p.m. — Vikings lose a tight end

Blocking tight end Ben Sims, who played 83 offensive snaps for the Vikings last season, has signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins. Minnesota elected not to tender him a contract as a restricted free agent. Ben Yurosek is now the Vikings' TE3, though that could change before the offseason is over.

4:10 p.m. — Kyler flying to Minnesota tonight?

4:00 p.m. — Hargrave heads across the border

An hour after his release from the Vikings, Javon Hargrave has agreed to terms on a two-year, $23 million deal with the Packers, according to Adam Schefter. Hargrave gets a sizable contract at age 33 and will face his former team in Minnesota twice this season.

3:35 p.m. — Murray to sign within 24 hours?

Ian Rapoport had a run-of-the-mill report on Murray, but at the end, he said there are "a lot of different outcomes" possible, but "this obviously is a big one that we are watching over the next 24 hours or so."

3:28 p.m. — Eagles still considering Greenard

The Eagles seem to be the team to beat in the trade market for Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard. If the Buffalo Bills were previously interested, they might not be anymore now that they've reportedly signed edge rusher Bradley Chubb.

3:15 p.m. — Jonathan Allen designated for post-June 1 release

As they did with Harrison Smith, the Vikings are designating defensive tackle Jonathan Allen as a post-June 1 release. That essentially gives the Vikings the ability to spread Allen's cap hit over two seasons, rather than absorbing it all this season.

Cutting him before June 1 would result in a $17.33 million cap hit in 2026, while a post-June 1 release drops his 2026 cap hit to $12.66 million.

3:01 p.m. — Cardinals release Murray; Vikings the heavy favorite

It's official. Arizona has announced the release of Kyler Murray, and the Vikings are believed to be the heavy favorite to sign him. Adam Schefter cited a source who said they would be "shocked" if Murray doesn't sign with the Vikings, while Dianna Russini says Murray will make a trip to Minnesota and take a physical.

2:47 p.m. — Vikings are releasing Harrison Smith

While that headline may seem alarming, in reality it's not a terribly big deal. According to numerous reports, it's a procedural move by the Vikings. Smith had a $25 million base salary guarantee for 2027 that was set to trigger later this week. For obvious reasons, Minnesota don't want to be on the hook for that much for a guy who is most likely going to be retired by 2027. Both Alec Lewis and Ben Goessling note that Smith's decision for the 2026 is still up in the air and that the team has remained in contact with him about a potential return.

2:40 p.m. — Hargrave will, in fact, be released

It's been 10 days since the report came out that the Vikings were set to release Javon Hargrave and Aaron Jones at the start of the new league year. Whereas Jones is actually sticking around, it sounds like Hargrave will indeed be cut sometime after 3 p.m. central today.

1:50 p.m. — Aaron Jones returning to Vikings

Surprise! After numerous reports said the Vikings were going to release Jones if they couldn't find a trade partner, Jones is now returning to the Vikings on a revised contract.

According to Tom Pelissero, the new contract will drop Jones' base salary from $9 million to $5.5 million. It's unclear how the restructure will impact his salary cap hit, which was previously set to be $14.55 million. Adam Schefter says Jones is getting $5.6 million in base salary, including $5 million guaranteed.

12:39 p.m. — Schefter wouldn't be surprised if Greenard is traded

"Jonathan Greenard, yes the Vikings have made him available. That wouldn't surprise me if he winds up being traded," Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday.

12:03 p.m. — KOC extensively studied Murray

Josh Weinfuss, an ESPN reporter who covers the Cardinals, cited a source who told him that Kevin O'Connell has done "extensive research" into Murray. That's not surprising considering Minnesota might sign him, but it's interesting nonetheless.

10:15 a.m. — Murray release looms; 'keep an eye on Minnesota'

Ian Rapoport expects Kyler Murray to be released by Arizona before 3 p.m. CT today, at which point, he says everyone should "for sure keep an eye on Minnesota."

"When he is released, for sure keep an eye on Minnesota. Expected to be mutual interest. A lot of that makes sense. I would also think he's going to talk to some teams, coaches, general managers — just to kind of see what is out there. But Minnesota makes a lot of sense," Rapoport said.

9:45 a.m. — Possible Greenard suitors?

While the Eagles are the team most commonly linked to a possible trade for Jonathan Greenard, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler says the Colts, Bills, Buccaneers, and Commanders were also in the Trey Hendrickson market before he agreed to terms with the Bengals.

The Commanders have since reportedly signed edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson. Does that mean the most logical candidates to trade for Greenard are the Eagles, Colts, Bills, and Bucs?

9:35 a.m. — Vikings want a premium return for Greenard

Word from NFL insiders is that it will take a Day 2 pick to trade for Greenard, but one has to wonder if the Vikings want a first-round pick or multiple Day 2 picks to justify trading one of their best players. Read more about why the price for Greenard should be sky-high right here.

8:15 a.m. — Attention turns to Jonathan Greenard

Now that the Ravens have reportedly signed Trey Henderickson to a four-year, $112 million deal (after backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade), the next top pass rusher on the market, via a trade, is Greenard, and there could be movement on that front in the near future.

"Look for teams in need of pass rush help to turn their attention to a potential trade for Minnesota’s Jonathan Greenard, who multiple teams have inquired about, as well as other options on the free-agent market," says Dianna Russini.

Among the teams showing interest: the Philadelphia Eagles.

7:05 a.m. — Tavierre Thomas returning to Vikings

The Vikings confirmed that the cornerback has agreed to terms to stay in Minnesota. Adam Schefter reports that it's a two-year contract worth $4.6 million. Thomas is a depth cornerback and one of Minnesota's top special teams players.

6:40 a.m. — Murray, Cousins speculation

SI's Albert Breer says his "sense" is that Murray's "preference" would be playing for Minnesota, though he's not ruling out Cousins returning to the Vikings.

"If the Vikings go another way, with someone like Cousins, then I think the idea of being the stopgap in Indianapolis, presuming Daniel Jones re-ups, while Jones is coming back from his torn Achilles would be appealing to him," Breer wrote of Murray.

"Cousins, as I’ve heard it, would rather not have his new team just grab him for the minimum, mostly because he knows (particularly after what he just went through) how quickly teams can flip the script on quarterbacks—and how a team’s investment in a player can dictate that. His guarantee is also much smaller ($10 million) than those of the other guys, so the chance he exceeds the number is greater. Minnesota and Indy would be on his list as well—we’ll see if those teams would reciprocate the interest."

5:45 a.m. — Colts, Daniel Jones nearing agreement

That's the word from multiple insiders, who suggest Jones and the Colts could be closing in on a two-year contract extension. How Jones' status with the Colts impacts other free agent quarterbacks, namely Murray, remains to be seen. But it's clearly something that could have a domino effect on the Vikings' QB decision.

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Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

Joe Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in Minnesota sports journalism. Nelson began his career in sports radio, working at smaller stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before moving to the highly-rated KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. While there, he produced the popular mid-morning show hosted by Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. His time in radio laid the groundwork for his transition to sports writing in 2011. He covers the Vikings, Timberwolves, Gophers and Twins for On SI.

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