Why the Vikings Can Afford to Wait on a Jonathan Greenard Trade

Whether or not star Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard gets traded continues to be a major storyline this offseason. Every day that goes by makes it seem more and more unlikely that he's dealt, but the fact of the matter is that Minnesota doesn't have to rush to get a deal done.

At the end of the day, Greenard is under contract for two more seasons. With a base salary of $18.39 million in 2026 and 2027, Greenard is being paid below his market value. Look no further than the deals edge rushers Jaelen Phillips and Oteh Oweh signed earlier this month.

Phillips signed a four-year, $120 million deal with the Panthers, which included $80 million guaranteed and a $60 million signing bonus. His base salary will peak at $28.75 million in 2028 and 2029. Oweh signed a four-year, $96 million contract with the Commanders, including $68 million guaranteed. His base salary will peak at $21.3 million.

Greenard is arguably better than both of them. Minnesota, already in a cap crunch, may find it difficult to pay him bigger money when they have Dallas Turner waiting to take on a bigger role in the defense. Greenard's best chance to get paid what he deserves very well may be elsewhere, but the Vikings don't need to rush to a trade.

The NFL Draft could spur conversation, but how many teams are going to come calling? According to Alec Lewis, the Eagles and Colts "could" be interested, but the Colts may be unwilling to part with a second-round pick when they already traded first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 to the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner. The Eagles have draft capital, but are they going to pay Greenard when they opted to let Phillips leave as a free agent?

As Lewis reported Thursday, citing a high-ranking NFL executive, Greenard's contract situation is "the central hurdle" in a trade. That's why it might make more sense for the Greenard market to heat up later in the offseason, or perhaps as late as training camp or the preseason.

The market for Greenard might be limited, as teams with a need for an edge rusher either addressed it already in free agency or are waiting to see what their needs are until after the draft. If only the Colts and Eagles are logical fits right now, there could be more playoff hopefuls with a need if there are edge rushers who suffer injuries this offseason or during preseason camp.

Trading Greenard for anything less than a Day 2 pick, and preferably nothing worse than a second-round pick, seems like a logical demand for the Vikings. Until that demand is met, or until Greenard forces their hand, the Vikings shouldn't budge.