The Vikings have landed in a salary-cap crunch. They’ll be slashing contracts in order to get in compliance.
After going all in last year (on every position but quarterback), the Vikings are currently slated to be $43 million over the brand-new $301.2 million salary cap. All teams need to be under the limit by 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11.
To help get there, the Vikings will be releasing (or possibly trading) running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Both players are represented by agent Drew Rosenhaus.
The moves will create $18.65 million in cap space, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com.
Per Seifert, other players who could be released include defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and center Ryan Kelly. Cap space also can be created by restructuring the contracts of receiver Justin Jefferson, tight end T.J. Hockenson, and tackle Brian O’Neill.
The cap purge will put a premium on spending wisely in 2026 — and on getting more out of their draft picks.
Hovering over the entire organization is the quarterback question. Who will they add to a depth chart currently led by third-year first-rounder J.J. McCarthy?
They need to have someone who’ll push him. To supplant him, if he doesn’t develop sufficiently. To replace him, if/when he’s injured again.
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He was the first overall pick in the 2019 draft. And he’s destined to be looking for a new team.
So where will quarterback Kyler Murray’s career continue?
Barring a trade, which is unlikely unless the Cardinals pay a bunch of money and/or attach a draft pick to the sale of cap space, he’ll be cut. The Cardinals already owe Murray $36.8 million for 2026, with another $22.55 million hitting the books in the middle of March. The moment he was placed on injured reserve while recovering from a foot injury, the message was clear — Murray had played his last game for the Cardinals.
For plenty of coaches, there’s a minimum height requirement at the position, and Murray isn’t tall enough to ride the ride. Thus, as a threshold matter, a prospective employer has to be comfortable with Murray’s stature.
Last year, as the trade deadline approached and we poked around regarding the possibility of a trade, we heard that Murray was interested in joining the Raiders or the Vikings. The draw to Las Vegas, however, was offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. He’s now back at the college level.
Would the Vikings want Murray? They could possibly get him for the league minimum of $1.3 million, with the Cardinals paying the balance of his $36.8 million pay. (That’s what the Steelers did in 2024, when signing Russell Wilson and sticking the Broncos with most of his compensation.) The bigger question is whether coach Kevin O’Connell believes Murray would fit the Vikings’ offense.
Here’s another intriguing possibility, in our view: The Falcons. Coach Kevin Stefanski has no apparent qualms regarding shorter quarterbacks; Dillon Gabriel started multiple games for Stefanski and the Browns last year. And Atlanta has plenty of potent offensive weapons, from Bijan Robinson to Drake London to Kyle Pitts Sr.
The X factor in Atlanta will be president of football operations Matt Ryan, a former quarterback who measures six feet, five inches. Ryan may prefer a more traditional quarterback to hold down the fort while Michael Penix Jr. recovers from an ACL tear and the Falcons figure out whether he’s still the guy.
Still, the price could be just right on a one-year deal, for the Vikings, Falcons, or any other team currently looking for a new starter. And the Cardinals will likely be paying Murray a lot of money to play for another team in 2026.
It’s amazing the relationship lasted as long as it did. The Cardinals made it to the playoffs once in Murray’s seven seasons. And the ill-advised homework clause in his second contract drove a wedge that was never going to go away.
The cash and cap realities of that second deal made it hard to sever ties. Even now, it will leave a mark on Arizona’s books.
We’ll see whether Murray and his career record of 38-49-1 can make a mark in a new NFL city.
Teams making decisions about picking up the fifth-year options on the contracts of their 2023 first-round picks now know how much that will cost.
The NFL revealed the values on Friday afternoon. There are four levels of compensation at each position. Players who have made multiple Pro Bowls as an original selection are at the top followed by players with one Pro Bowl selection and players who have hit playing time milestones before reaching the lowest level.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud were the first two picks of that draft and both of them reached the playing time level of compensation. That will leave them with fully guaranteed salaries of $25.904 million if the teams decide to exercise the options, but longer-term extensions are also a possibility now that they have finished their third seasons.
The full list of 2023 first-rounders — there were 31 that year because the Dolphins were stripped of their pick — and their fifth-year option salaries appears below:
1. Panthers QB Bryce Young — $25.904 million (playing time).
2. Texans QB C.J. Stroud — $25.904 million (playing time).
3. Texans DE Will Anderson — $21.512 (Pro Bowl).
4. Colts QB Anthony Richardson — $22.483 million (base).
5. Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon — $21.161 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
6. Cardinals OT Paris Johnson — $19.072 million (playing time).
7. Raiders DE Tyree Wilson — $14.475 million (base).
8. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson — $11.323 million (Pro Bowl).
9. Eagles DT Jalen Carter — $27.127 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
10. Bears OT Darnell Wright — $19.072 million (playing time).
11. Titans OG Peter Skoronski — $19.072 million (playing time).
12. Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs — $14.293 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
13. Packers DE Lukas Van Ness — $14.475 million (base).
14. Steelers OT Broderick Jones — $19.072 million (playing time).
15. Jets DE Will McDonald — $14.475 million (base).
16. Rams CB Emmanuel Forbes — $12.633 million (base).
17. Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez — $18.119 million (Pro Bowl).
18. Lions LB Jack Campbell — $21.925 million (Pro Bowl).
19. Buccaneers DT Calijah Kancey — $15.451 (playing time).
20. Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba — $23.852 million (Pro Bowl).
21. Chargers WR Quentin Johnston — $18 million (playing time).
22. Ravens WR Zay Flowers — $27.298 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
23. Vikings WR Jordan Addison — $18 million (playing time).
24. Giants CB Deonte Banks — $12.633 million (base).
25. Bills TE Dalton Kincaid — $8.162 million (base).
26. Jets DT Mazi Smith — $13.391 million (base) Smith was traded to the Jets by the Cowboys.
27. Jaguars OT Anton Harrison — $19.072 million (playing time).
28. Bengals DE Myles Murphy — $14.475 million (base).
29. Saints DT Bryan Bresee — $13.391 million (base).
30. Eagles LB Nolan Smith — $13.752 million (base).
31. Chiefs Felix Anudike-Uzomah — $14.475 million (base).
The mutual interest between the Vikings and Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson should come as no surprise.
After the two teams played in Week 9 of the 2024 season, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell sought out Richardson, who had been benched at the time for Joe Flacco.
“Do me a favor and remember something,” O’Connell said to Richardson. “You’re a bad dude. . . . And you’re gonna play a long time in this league. . . . Go to work every day. Good things will happen for you. I still believe in you. I know these guys do, [Colts coach] Shane [Steichen] does, too. . . . And this organization loves you.”
The fourth pick in the 2023 draft, Richardson started four games as a rookie. In 2024, he had 11 starts. In 2025, he appeared in two games before suffering a season-ending eye injury when an exercise band malfunctioned in the locker room before a Week 6 game against the Cardinals.
Richardson had lost the starting job to Daniel Jones, who had finished 2024 with the Vikings after being cut by the Giants. The Colts have granted Richardson permission to seek a trade.
Richardson is under contract through 2026, with a compensation package of $5.385 million. A fifth-year option remains available, at a guaranteed salary in 2027 of $23.5 million.
Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski, who is handling the General Manager duties for now, said earlier this week that the team would explore all their options at quarterback. One of those options is Anthony Richardson.
Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media reports that the Vikings and Richardson have “mutual interest.”
The Colts have given Richardson permission to seek a trade.
The Vikings want to add competition to their quarterbacks room. J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in 2024, completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his first season as a starter.
The Vikings finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs.
The Colts provided Richardson, the fourth overall pick in 2023, with competition in 2025, and Daniel Jones won the job. Richardson played only two games — 14 snaps — and threw only two passes last season. He was out much of the season with an orbital fracture.
He has 15 starts in three seasons, completing 50.6 percent of his passes for 2,400 yards with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Jones is scheduled for free agency later this month, but all signs point to the Colts keeping him as their starter with either a tag or with a long-term deal.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s staff for the 2026 season is set.
The team announced the full staff on Tuesday along with a number of additions and title changes for coaches returning from 2025. Among the latter group is quarterbacks coach Josh McCown taking on the role of pass game coordinator and inside linebackers coach Mike Siravo adding a senior defensive assistant title.
Assistant defensive backs coach Chenzo Funari, assistant linebackers coach Dalmin Gibson, assistant wide receivers coach Derron Montgomery, assistant offensive coordinator Chris O’Hara, assistant defensive line coach Patrick Hill, and assistant quarterbacks coach/passing game specialist Jordan Traylor also have new titles.
The new hires are offensive quality control coach Kyle Caskey, assistant special teams coach Chili Davis, and defensive assistant Will Johnson.
Those coaches join special teams coordinator Matt Daniels, defensive coordinator Brian Flores, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, assistant head coach Frank Smith, defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander, outside linebackers coach Thad Bogardus, offensive line coach Keith Carter, tight ends coach/game management coordinator Ryan Cordell, wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell, offensive running game coordinator/running backs coach Curtis Modkins, defensive running game coordinator Ryan Nielsen, offensive assistant Ben Ellefson, defensive assistant Charlie Frye, assistant to the head coach Henry Schneider, and assistant offensive line coach Derek Warehime.
The Vikings’ plan to turn the quarterback job over to J.J. McCarthy did not go exactly as planned in 2025.
McCarthy got off to a rocky start before missing time with an ankle injury and his play remained uneven upon his return to action. He also missed games with a concussion and a hairline fracture to his hand in the second half of the season, which led to head coach Kevin O’Connell saying that the team plans to add competition to the position at his end of season press conference.
The Vikings fired General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after O’Connell made those comments, but the plan to address the position hasn’t changed. Executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski is currently handling the GM responsibilities and he said on Tuesday that the team is not “ruling anything out” at the moment.
“We have not a ton of time, but we have a couple of weeks and so we’re exploring every option that could be out there,” Brzezinski said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. “It’s casting a wide net, I guess I would say.”
O’Connell also spoke to reporters from the Scouting Combine and said “a lot of those feelings are still the same” when asked if the team continues to view McCarthy as their franchise quarterback but “the timeline is in a different place” than it was when McCarthy was taken in the first round in 2024. The search for another option indicates that things are in a significantly different place and the moves the Vikings make in the coming weeks will send a clearer signal about how they view the position in 2026.
The Colts made a great move at quarterback last year, getting quarterback Daniel Jones on a one-year, $14 million deal. Now, they have a big decision to make.
Re-sign Jones, risk letting him become a free agent, or use the franchise tag?
The challenge when it comes to using the franchise tag is obvious. It’s not cheap. The projected 2026 franchise tag for the quarterback position is $47.3 million.
That’s a massive commitment, especially in light of Jones’s current health. He’s recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, with no guarantee that he’ll be 100 percent when the season starts.
On the other hand, they risk losing him to another team that would pay more than whatever the Colts might offer. And the Vikings, in theory, could be lurking.
Last year, the Vikings wanted to pair Jones with J.J. McCarthy. Jones believed that coach Kevin O’Connell would work his usual magic with McCarthy, making it unlikely Jones would play. In Indy, Jones received a full and fair chance to win the job from Anthony Richardson — and Jones did.
This time around, Jones may believe he has a chance to play in Minnesota.
The Vikings developed a high opinion of Jones during their limited time with him in 2024. Their opinion of him was sufficiently high that some believed Jones had a chance to leapfrog Sam Darnold during the playoffs, if the Vikings had managed to win the wild-card game against the Rams.
Regardless, Jones remains under contract with the Colts. They have a week to decide whether to tag him.
The transition tag is also available. It would cost $40 million for 2026, giving them only the right to match an offer sheet.
It all comes down to Jones’s true market. Would someone offer him $40 million per year? But for the Achilles injury, maybe.
That said, the Falcons gave Kirk Cousins $45 million per year in 2024, while he was recovering from the same injury. And the market, as Tua Tagovailoa once said, is the market.
The Colts need to figure out what the market for Jones may be, before deciding whether to apply the franchise tag.
The tragic passing of Vikings receiver Rondale Moore resulted in an embarrassing moment for ESPN. The photo ESPN used during Saturday night’s SportsCenter was not Rondale Moore. It was Vikings receiver Myles Price.
Via Drew Lerner of Awful Announcing, the incorrect photo appeared at 1:07 a.m. ET. It was removed from later versions of the broadcast, with Scott Van Pelt re-taping the segment. ESPN also apologized for using the incorrect photo.
It’s an understandable mistake. The photo services that provide images for ESPN and other media outlets routinely misidentify players and coaches.
We deal with it frequently. The search term is entered (i.e., the name of the person), and the options appear. Sometimes (and once is too often), the wrong photo is delivered.
On Saturday night, I nearly made the same mistake. At the last second, I remembered that Moore played only one game last year for the Vikings — in the home preseason opener against the Texans. There should have been no photos anywhere of Moore in a Vikings uniform with a white jersey.
Moore wore No. 4 in his only Vikings game. After Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason opener against the Texans, Price switched to No. 4. Multiple photos of Price from the 2025 season have been labeled by the photo services as photos of Moore. (Since Saturday night, one of the services we use has caught the error and for the most part fixed it. The other service has not.)
When creating content and/or preparing graphics for a broadcast, things move quickly. Mistakes made by the photo services often aren’t noticed.
But that’s undoubtedly what happened to ESPN. Someone searched their photo service for an image of Rondale Moore, and the service had incorrectly included photos of Myles Price within the available selections. When the person making the graphic didn’t instantly recognize it was Price (or didn’t instantly realize it wasn’t Moore), the mistake made by the photo service made its way through to the final product.
It’s not an excuse, but an explanation. Until the various photo services properly categorize and label the photos, there’s a chance that someone will access the service, enter the person’s name, and select a photo without realizing the photo service served up the wrong photo.
It’s unfortunate, but it happens. Hopefully, ESPN’s error as to Rondale Moore will prompt the various photo services to accurately identify the persons in the photos they generate. Given that the media outlets pay the photo services for those images, it’s important that the right images are provided.
Ronyell Whitaker, a cornerback who spent six years playing pro football, has died at the age of 46.
“The Whitaker family is heartbroken to share the passing of our beloved son, brother and friend, Ronyell Deshawn Whitaker, who departed this life on Feb. 22, 2026,” Whitaker’s family said in a statement published by the Vikings. “Born on March 19, 1979, Ronyell lived a life marked by passion, perseverance and purpose. A gifted athlete, he proudly played high school football for Lake Taylor High School in Norfolk, Virginia, and college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies, where his talent, determination and leadership on the field made a lasting impact. Ronyell went on to pursue his professional dreams in the National Football League, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003. Throughout his career, he also played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions, and he later continued his football journey in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before retiring from professional football in 2010.”
Whitaker was born and raised in Norfolk. He was the nephew of boxing legend Pernell Whitaker.
After retiring from playing, Whitaker coached high school football and also was CEO of Whitaker Group, which specialized in relocations and short sales for professional athletes, who often have unique needs in having to find a new home quickly, something Whitaker himself knew as a player who had moved around in his career.
No cause of death has been announced.
