Minnesota Vikings open to trading superstar player due to their salary cap situation, and it could alter the future

Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski is truly looking at every and all options.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks on against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium.
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The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of work to do in order to become compliant with the salary cap, and they are exploring multiple options to get it done. The Vikings are looking into trading edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The idea behind trading Greenard can only be rooted in one thing: creating salary cap space. When you look at the numbers with Greenard, he’s the best defender on the Vikings defense. Trading him would be a major move.

Minnesota Vikings are open to trading Jonathan Greenard

The phrasing “open to trading” Greenard is important in this entire discussion. That doesn’t mean that they want to trade him or they are serious about making the move. This screams that the Vikings are willing to take a massive offer for the talented edge rusher, not that they are trying to move on from him.

Trading Greenard only saves $12.25 million on the salary cap by trading him, and they can save $13.21 million by restructuring their best defensive player. It wouldn’t be the smartest play the Vikings have ever made, as Greenard is the engine that powers the Vikings’ defense, led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

It all seems to be posturing to see if a team will overpay for Greenard, as the Vikings do have Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel at edge rusher, both of whom are starting-caliber players. This will be a story to watch over the course of the next few weeks.

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