Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings carry $41.2M in dead money this season, but $75.4M in projected cap room next year signals a rapid financial turnaround is already in sight.

22 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Six starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Eight picks in the upcoming draft, including two first-rounders and extra picks from the Eagles, Jets, and Panthers, give this franchise real ammunition to address its needs or trade up for impact.

• Acquired: Round 3 from Eagles, this draft
• Acquired: Round 7 from Eagles, this draft
• Acquired: Round 6 from Jets, this draft
• Acquired: Round 5 from Panthers, this draft
• Traded away: Round 6 to Patriots, this draft
• Traded away: Round 7 to Falcons, this draft
• Traded away: Round 4 to Panthers, this draft

The roster's top strength is its wide receiver corps headlined by the 97 overall Justin Jefferson, while the center position, where no starter grades above 71 overall, is the clearest weak spot on the depth chart.

• Cmedium

  Blake Brandel starts at center but ranks 24th among starters and 25th in depth league-wide, making an upgrade at the position a medium priority.

• HBlow

  Aaron Jones Sr. starts and the backfield depth ranks fourth in the league, so the need is low, but Jones is entering the late stage of his career and a long-term successor deserves attention.

• QBlow

  Kyler Murray starts at 77 overall but ranks 23rd among starting quarterbacks, and with Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer behind him, an upgrade in the room is a low but real consideration.

• 68Carson WentzQBCarson Wentz sits third on the quarterback depth chart at 68 overall and releasing him frees $1.5M against only $1.3M in dead money, making it a near-breakeven move that clears a roster spot.Frees $1.5M · $1.3M dead
• 64Ryan Van DemarkLTRyan Van Demark is the third-string left tackle at 64 overall, and cutting him frees $1.6M, though it does carry $2.6M in dead money that must be weighed against the savings.Frees $1.6M · $2.6M dead
• 63Tyler BattyLEDGETyler Batty sits fourth on the left edge depth chart at 63 overall, and releasing him frees $1.0M with zero dead money, making it a clean cap gain at minimal roster cost.Frees $1.0M · $0 dead
• 76Ivan Pace JrMIKEIvan Pace Jr. backs up Blake Cashman at MIKE and also appears at SAM, but at $3.5M freed with no dead money attached, his 76 overall does not justify that price tag given the depth at the position.Frees $3.5M · $0 dead
• 62Michael JurgensCMichael Jurgens is the third-string center at 62 overall, and releasing him recovers $1.1M with just $40K in dead money, essentially a free roster spot.Frees $1.1M · $40.0K dead

Minnesota enters this franchise window with a genuine superstar in Justin Jefferson and a capable offensive line bookended by Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill, but the quarterback situation at 77 overall is the ceiling-setter the team must address to become a true contender. The defense is solid from top to bottom, with Byron Murphy Jr. and Josh Metellus in the secondary, Dallas Turner developing into a pass-rush force off the edge, and Blake Cashman holding down the middle of the field. The concern is that several key contributors, including Harrison Smith at free safety, Andrew Van Ginkel at right edge, Eric Wilson at will linebacker, and Kyle Van Noy as the edge backup, are deep into the late or final stages of their careers, and the roster will look meaningfully different in three seasons. The $41.2M in dead cap this season is a genuine drag, but the $75.4M in projected cap room next year offers a significant financial runway to remake the roster before that wave of attrition fully arrives. With 22 contracts expiring and eight picks in the upcoming draft spread across multiple rounds, the franchise has real tools to retool, provided the front office is deliberate about where it allocates resources.

The Vikings were awarded the NFL's 14th franchise on January 28, 1960, after a Minnesota ownership group led by Max Winter and Bill Boyer abandoned a prior commitment to the rival AFL. Named the "Vikings" on September 27, 1960, to honor the region's Scandinavian heritage, they began play in 1961 at Metropolitan Stadium under first head coach Norm Van Brocklin, with rookie Fran Tarkenton coming off the bench to throw four touchdown passes in a 37-13 upset of the Bears on September 17, 1961. The franchise's golden age began with the 1967 hiring of Bud Grant, who built a defense-first identity around the "Purple People Eaters" (Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, Alan Page, and Gary Larsen). Minnesota won the last pre-merger NFL Championship in 1969 (beating Cleveland 27-7) and reached four Super Bowls, IV, VIII, IX, and XI, losing all four, while qualifying for the playoffs in 10 of 11 seasons between 1968 and 1978. Later eras produced more heartbreak: the 1998 team went 15-1 before a stunning NFC Championship loss to Atlanta; the 2009 Brett Favre squad fell in overtime in the NFC title game at New Orleans; and the 2017 team won on the "Minneapolis Miracle" before being routed by Philadelphia. The Vikings have lost their last six NFC Championship Game appearances dating to 1978 and remain one of the most accomplished franchises never to win a Super Bowl. They have played at Metropolitan Stadium (1961-81), the Metrodome (1982-2013), TCF Bank Stadium (2014-15), and U.S. Bank Stadium (2016-present). Under Kevin O'Connell (since 2022), the team has gone 13-4, 7-10, 14-3, and 9-8.