Jonathan

Greenard

The Vikings get the No. 98 overall pick in 2026 and a 2027 third in exchange for Greenard, who joins one of the most athletic front sevens in the league. The two sides agreed to a four-year, $100 million extension that ties Greenard to the Eagles through 2029 and guarantees the athletic linebacker $50 million. Greenard’s 13.5 percent pressure rate in 12 games in 2025 ranked seventh in the league. General Manager Howie Roseman continues to add impact players via any means necessary during the draft.

The last we heard about Greenard was at the league’s winter meetings, when head coach Kevin O’Connell said he expected Greenard to be part of the team in 2026. Greenard broke out for a 12-sack season in 2024 but was held to just three sacks over 12 games last season while totaling 38 tackles and 10 TFLs. He remains under contract through 2027, and the Vikings are reportedly looking for a high-end Day 2 draft pick in exchange for his services. After losing EDGE Jaelan Phillips to the Panthers in free agency earlier this offseason, the Eagles have a need to add another pass-rusher to a defense that totaled 42 sacks last season. Schefter reports trade discussions between the two sides “have lost steam in recent weeks,” but that the two sides could revisit those discussions during this week’s draft.

It was reported early this month that the Vikings were open to trading Greenard, who has generated interest from a handful of suitors. Greenard, who is in search of a new contract, has two years left on his current deal and is coming off a season in which he totaled 38 tackles, three sacks, and 10 TFLs in 12 games. It was a down season for the six-year vet, who totaled 24.5 sacks in the previous two seasons, but at only 28 years old, there’s hope he can regain his form this season. While it’s still possible the two sides split this offseason, O’Connell’s comments seem fairly definitive at this point.

Lewis has a deep dive of the Greenard market in his latest, the gist of which is basically centered around Greenard’s contract demands being a major impediment to a trade. The Eagles have been the main team linked to Greenard, but the Colts are also a reasonable fit given how they were reportedly the runner-up on Trey Hendrickson this offseason. Of course, the Colts also don’t have a first-round pick again until 2028, so trading real value for Greenard might be off the table for them. Lewis believes anything less than a Day 2 pick would be a “non-starter” for the Vikings.

The Eagles were reportedly interested in Greenard near the opening of free agency, and a few weeks later they continue to be the only team publicly connected to him. It’s possible that Greenard is a pivot option off of A.J. Brown because he’d require a new contract and the Eagles are dealing with a challenging salary cap situation. We’re a little surprised we haven’t seen more interest in Greenard, even off a down 2025 season.

This would be a contingency plan for if the Eagles lost Jaelan Phillips to the open market. The Vikings are looking for a Day 2 pick to move Greenard, per Fowler, with the sticking point being that Greenard wants a contract adjustment. This is the first smoke we’ve seen on Greenard actually moving since Adam Schefter reported that the Vikings were open to trading him.

The Vikings, per Schefter, “would like to keep Greenard, but they also have salary cap issues they’re working through that have led to these trade conversations.” If he remains on the Vikings roster this season, Greenard will be a $22.3 million hit against the salary cap. Hampered by a shoulder injury, Geenard in 2025 recorded three sacks after back to back seasons with at least a dozen sacks. He should see significant interest from teams in need of pass rushing help.

Greenard will be a candidate for an offseason extension/restructure with a $22.3 million cap hit and the Vikings entering the offseason over the cap. Greenard finishes his age-28 season with just three sacks after back-to-back seasons of 12.5 and 12 in 2023 and 2024, but the Vikings simply didn’t force as many pass-rush situations in 2025 as the defense struggled to contain the run. He was trying to play through his shoulder injury, but with the Vikings officially out of the playoff picture, Greenard can recuperate ahead of the 2026 season.

Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw remains a game-time decision. Greenard has missed the past two weeks with the shoulder issue. He was listed as questionable for Week 13 after getting in three limited practices. The veteran defender has two sacks and 19 total tackles this year.

He practiced all week, unlike the leadup to Week 12, so perhaps there’s a chance Greenard goes after missing each of the last two games with the shoulder injury. Josh Metellus (knee/shoulder), Theo Jackson (neck) and Jalen Redmond (hip) are also questionable for the Vikings defense.