Andrew Buller-Russ
Last year, the Minnesota Vikings went all-out in free agency, spending over a hundred million dollars to add talent to a roster coming off a playoff appearance. Now, the Vikings are ripping up one of those contracts, and there could be more on the way.
According to ESPN’s NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, the Vikings are releasing Jonathan Allen from the roster. The two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Vikings after being released by the Commanders last offseason.
The Vikings enter the offseason roughly $40 million above the 2026 salary cap. Moving on from Allen saves the Vikings $6.5 million in cap space while leaving behind $17.3 million in dead salary.
Allen started all 17 games in Minnesota, recording 68 tackles and 3.5 sacks in the process. Previous reports suggested the Vikings could look to cut or trade fellow former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. That move has yet to materialize.
What we do know is that defensive tackle Jalen Redmond, a former XFL signee, will remain a key part of the team’s defensive interior. The Vikings extended an exclusive rights contract offer to Redmond earlier on Wednesday, and now the two sides are expected to try negotiating a long-term extension.
Meanwhile, Allen will be looking for a new team for the second offseason in a row. Who knows, he just might end up back in Washington or in Minnesota, albeit at a lower cap number.
Related: Minnesota Vikings Doing ‘Background Work’ on Retired QB
