Kevin O’Connell makes a firm statement on the future of Jonathan Greenard that raises more questions

The future of Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard has been in doubt for weeks, and it’s not getting any clearer.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Oct 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) gets pressure on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) during the first half at SoFi Stadium.
Oct 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) gets pressure on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to the media at the NFL Owners Meetings and commented on the future of edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.

“Yeah, I expect him to be part of our team,” said O’Connell. “I know there’s always conversations. There’s conversations this week. There’s conversations throughout the offseason, and we’ll continue to kind of attack things at the different phases. We’re getting ready to really jump heavily into draft meetings when we get back. But at the same time, we’re always going to try to do what’s best for our team and also what we think is best for each one of our individual players. And that’s an ongoing thing throughout every offseason.”

Kevin O’Connell’s comments on Jonathan Greenard raise questions

O’Connell expecting Greenard to be with the team in 2026 isn’t much of a surprise at this point in the offseason. Trade talks have seemingly broken down after he was in the center of them for a few weeks. Multiple teams were interested in getting him, but a contract extension wasn’t agreed upon.

With that not taking shape, his return for the 2026 season is more and more likely. Now, will that end up staying the case? That remains to be seen. The Vikings still seem unwilling to give Greenard the raise he’s asked for, which makes things complicated. Are we sure that Greenard will end up playing for the Vikings in 2026?

That’s where O’Connell’s comments about “conversations” end up being interesting. The ambiguity of those comments raises a red flag. Now, that could be from O’Connell’s tendency to be a politician when he speaks to the media, but he always leaves some crumbs to follow. The door isn’t closed on a potential Greenard trade, and with the NFL Draft coming up, he could end up getting moved during three day event.

Nothing is certain right now with anything the Vikings are doing. The only certainty is that anything is possible.

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