Vikings Reportedly Open to Trading Jonathan Greenard For Cap Relief

The Vikings are "now open" to the idea of trading Pro Bowl outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday.

"They would like to keep Greenard, but they also have salary cap issues they’re working through that have led to these trade conversations," Schefter wrote.

The Vikings are an estimated $45 million or so over the cap for 2026, which puts them 31st in the league in cap space. The expected releases of Javon Hargrave and Aaron Jones will shave around $19 million off of that, but plenty of work is still needed in order for Minnesota to not only get cap compliant, but also have the space to make additions in free agency.

Trading Greenard — who has a $22.15 million cap hit, fifth-highest on the roster — would free up $12.25 million and come with just under $10 million in dead money, according to Over the Cap.

The case for considering a Greenard trade, in addition to the cap relief, is that the Vikings could perhaps get an early draft pick back while also clearing a path for Dallas Turner to take on an even bigger role in his third season. Would a team in need of proven pass rush production send the Vikings a second-round pick for Greenard? If that's on the table, it may at least be worth considering.

Greenard, who turns 29 in May, has spent the last two seasons with the Vikings after beginning his career with four years in Houston. He was an incredible pickup for Minnesota in 2024, recording 12 sacks, 18 total tackles for loss, and 4 forced fumbles in a stellar campaign that garnered him some down-ballot defensive player of the year votes. He was among the NFL leaders in QB pressures and could've easily been selected as an All-Pro.

Jonathan Greenard in 2024 | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

2025 was a bit of a disappointment for Greenard, who finished with just 3 sacks and 10 TFLs while missing five full games due to injury. He still was a consistently impactful pass rusher who led the Vikings with 47 pressures, but he had a hard time converting his disruption into sack production.

Meanwhile, Turner took a big second-year leap at 22 years old, finishing with 8 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. Some of his most productive games came while Greenard was sidelined late in the season. The Vikings believe the arrow is only pointing up for Turner, who they selected 17th overall in the 2024 draft. They also have another star OLB on the roster in Andrew Van Ginkel.

The case against trading Greenard is that he might be the best player on their entire defense, he's an important leader in the locker room, and there are plenty of other avenues in which they can free up cap space. Turner's second season was promising, but it's far from a sure thing that he'll continue to ascend in a linear fashion. Greenard is under contract for two more years at a reasonable price point for a player of his talent.

If the Vikings were to trade Greenard, edge rusher would become a more logical need early in April's draft. They currently have four top-100 selections and would undoubtedly add a fifth in any potential Greenard deal.

We'll have to wait and see what happens, but it's certainly notable to see Schefter put this out there as a possibility.