For a team filled with bloated veteran contracts only a few seasons ago, the Minnesota Vikings find themselves in a comfortable place regarding their estimated salary cap space for the 2025 NFL season.
The Vikings are 27th in total cap allocation. Their top 51 contracts add up to put them seventh regarding salary cap space available. available. And their dead cap hits sit manageably at 22nd among NFL franchises.
Minnesota's estimated $61.14 million gives them a lot of flexibility for contract extensions or being active in free agency to improve a roster that won 14 games in 2024 and earned a spot in the postseason.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah came to Minnesota as a specialist in managing the financial side of football and his moves are already paying off for a team that has usually not had much to spend during the offseason.
While it's great that the Vikings are in a great place financially, there are still players on the roster who are taking up a big chunk of that salary cap. Let's take a look at the top ten highest salary cap hits for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025.
Minnesota Vikings biggest salary-cap hits in 2025 entering the offseason
|
Player & Position |
2025 salary-cap number |
|---|---|
|
Brian O'Neill (OT) |
$26.02 million |
|
Jonathan Greenard (EDGE) |
$22.30 million |
|
T.J. Hockenson (TE) |
$16.85 million |
|
Justin Jefferson (WR) |
$15.17 million |
|
Andrew Van Ginkel (EDGE) |
$12.40 million |
|
Christian Darrisaw (OT) |
$10.27 million |
|
Josh Oliver (TE) |
$9.42 million |
|
Harrison Phillips (DL) |
$9.18 million |
|
Blake Cashman (LB) |
$7.33 million |
|
Harrison Smith (S) |
$6.57 million |
Minnesota's bookend of offensive tackles are paid well and have earned those healthy contracts. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill combine to account for 13.19 percent of the Vikings' total salary cap spending in 2025. The team will likely seek an interior lineman in free agency or the draft this season, meaning the offensive line could get much more expensive this offseason.
Tight end is another area where the Vikings spend a lot of money. T.J. Hockenson is well paid and his backup Josh Oliver is also on a hefty deal. The two combine for 9.56 percent of the team's cap and need to be more productive in 2025 to earn that chunk of the salary cap.
Some fans might be surprised to see superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson is fourth on the list, but having him under contract through the 2027 NFL season is great, even if that cap hit will skyrocket in future years.
Five of the top ten salary cap hits in 2025 are on the defensive side of the ball. Edge rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel were signed last offseason and performed well in Brian Flores' aggressive system.
Blake Cashman was also a new arrival last season who found himself at home in the middle of the defense. While he played well, the effectiveness of defensive lineman Harrison Phillips is up for debate, especially since he holds the eighth-biggest salary cap hit this coming season.
Finally, the elephant in the room is whether or not veteran safety Harrison Smith will return to the Minnesota Vikings for his 14th season with the team. Right behind him at No. 11 on the list is fellow safety Josh Metellus, who has turned into a jack-of-all-trades for the purple and gold.
