Will Anderson Jr.’s massive contract extension gives Jonathan Greenard more leverage with Minnesota Vikings
Jonathan Greenard has been chasing a contract extension and pay raise from the Minnesota Vikings and the rest of the NFL. Will Anderson Jr.’s contract extension may give him the leverage he needs.
The biggest story over the last six weeks for the Minnesota Vikings has been the future of edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.
He signed a four-year, $76 million contract during free agency in 2024 and immediately outperformed his contract. In 2024, Greenard fell just a few votes short of being an All-Pro with 12.5 sacks and 84 pressures on the year. He was the engine that powered the Vikings’ pass rush.
In 2025, the production wasn’t nearly the same, but he was still impactful across the board.
Will Anderson Jr.’s contract extension helps Jonathan Greenard’s case for a raise
Even though Greenard is the best and most impactful player on the team, the team has not been able to come to terms on an extension for him. The Vikings have also allowed Greenard to talk about a new contract with other teams.
Those talks could get expedited after the Houston Texans gave Will Anderson Jr. a massive extension worth $50 million/year.
Overall, Anderson is now under contract for the next five years, worth $182.7 million. On average over the next five years, Anderson will make $36.54 million. That is nearly double what Greenard is making at $19 million per year.
When you look at the disparity between the two, it’s a significant gap. Greenard isn’t an elite edge rusher like Anderson has become, but he’s a fringe top-10 player at the position. Instead, Greenard is paid as the 22nd-highest in the league. I’ve raised the idea that giving Greenard a tw0-year extension worth $68 million would bring him up to Nik Bonitto’s level, ranking at 13th overall in edge rusher rankings.
With how the Vikings both needing salary cap space and figuring out what their future at edge rusher is, finding a way to extend Greenard should be a lot easier considering where the market is at.
Even if the Vikings don’t want to make an offer to Greenard, another team may be willing to make that offer to him. That would likely give the Vikings extra picks in Thursday’s NFL Draft. Either way, Greenard’s future could come to a head quickly.