Vikings 'Likely' to Trade Jonathan Greenard; 'Half the League' Interested

While Jonathan Greenard's alleged desire for a pay raise appears to be a complicating factor in his Vikings' future, it appears that his demand across the league is also a reason why he is on the trade block.

News broke on Tuesday that the Vikings are open to the idea of trading Greenard. That was slightly surprising, considering Greenard is arguably the defense's best player on a great contract.

SI's Albert Breer signaled that Greenard's desire to see a "market correction to his contract" was leading to his sudden availability. The star pass rusher had an immediate impact for the Vikings when he got to Minnesota, tallying 12 sacks in his first season. Those numbers dropped off in 2025, registering just three total sacks while he was in and out of the lineup, appearing in only 12 games.

Now, Seattle insider Corbin Smith says Minnesota has received inquiries from "half the league" about Greenard's availability, including the defending champion Seahawks.

ESPN's Adam Schefter added to the growing speculation on Thursday, saying it's "probably more likely than not" that Greenard gets traded, but that Minnesota "isn't going to be thrilled about giving him up."

"This is a case where I don't think the Vikings really want to deal him, but it's one of those cases where if there's a team that offers enough to go get him... I think Minnesota, because of the financial questions and issues there, is going to have to consider it," Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show.

"I don't think the Vikings want to deal Jonathan Greenard but because of the cap issues they're gonna have to consider it..

Minnesota knows how good he is and they aren't gonna be thrilled about giving him up" @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/nesmboiwhk
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 5, 2026

According to Over the Cap, trading Greenard would free up around $12.25 million in cap space, while incurring $10 million in dead money. For a team that is $46.675 million over the cap, the money saved by dealing Greenard would go a long way toward getting the team cap-compliant ahead of free agency next week.

Minnesota is reportedly cutting veteran running back Aaron Jones, as well as veteran defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, in an effort to crate cap space.

While the financial aspects of a Greenard trade make sense, it leaves a lot of questions. Sure, young edge rusher Dallas Turner shone in Greenard's role in 2025. However, getting rid of Greenard arguably makes the Vikings worse in 2026, a year when they have clear desires to get back to the playoffs.

So, what's the asking price for Greenard?

Schefter thinks Minnesota is asking for a "Day 2 pick," which means a second- or third-round pick.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah indicated on social media that the "sweet spot" in the upcoming draft is between picks 50 and 75, signaling that there are a number of solid starters that will be available in the the second and third rounds. If Minnesota gets a Day 2 offer for Greenard, it's seemingly going to be hard for the Vikings to pass up on the chance to clear up cap space and take a swing at a young prospect.

"My guess is in the end, when these things usually happen and you hear about a player that a team is open to trading and there have been discussions, when that happens, usually a trade happens," Schefter said.