Minnesota Vikings take necessary step to secure the future of emerging star defender
Jalen Redmond will be with the Vikings in 2026, and hopefully longer.
The Minnesota Vikings had a decision to make with defensive tackle Jalen Redmond moving forward. They started the process on Wednesday afternoon by placing the exclusive rights free agency tender on him, keeping him in Minnesota for the 2026 season.
Being that Redmond has just two vested seasons under his belt, he doesn’t qualify to be a restricted free agent, where he can talk to other teams, as you need three years for that, and unrestricted free agency comes after either no tender is offered or the player has four vested seasons.
Vikings giving Jalen Redmond the ERFA tender could lead to an extension
Redmond had a massive breakout season for the Vikings. In training camp, they traded away nose tackle Harrison Phillips to the New York Jets so Redmond could be a starter. He ended up playing 793 snaps and logged 35 pressures and six sacks, cementing himself as the best defensive lineman on the team.
It’s been incredibly difficult for the Vikings to find defensive lineman over the last decade. They selected Sharrif Floyd in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and haven’t had success in that realm since. They have signed some good players, including nose tackle Linval Joseph, but the draft has eluded them.
Redmond was signed as the 90th man on the roster in June of 2024, and was so good that he made the roster and started two games in December. Due to his contract situation and his play, an extension could be in the works for Redmond.
What could that look like? Chris Jones is at the top of the market with a price above $30 million. Over The Cap’s evaluation of Redmond has him worth $12.572 million per season. That’s a plenty fair contract, and one the Vikings should consider giving him on an extension now before he gets upward of the $20-25 million mark. The salary cap situation could hinder that, but it could be cheaper to figure it out now.
At the very least, Redmond is going to be on the Vikings next season.
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