One of the most interesting teams to watch in NFL free agency is the Minnesota Vikings. They are trying to get under the new salary cap before free agency officially opens and have made some contract restructurings for both Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw. The Vikings are a wild card in free agency, especially from a quarterback perspective, so restructuring certain deals makes a lot of sense.
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network was one of the first to report that the Vikings were restructuring Jefferson and Darrisaw's deals. It is the latest in a series of moves the Vikings have been making to regain some financial flexibility. They have started the process of releasing a few players, and these moves were made in conjunction with that.
The restructures are expected to free up approximately $18.01 million from Jefferson’s contract and another $9.24 million from Darrisaw’s contract. Even with those moves, the Vikings still have additional work to do before the cap deadline arrives.
Another example of the Vikings trying to clear their books is that the team informed veteran running back Aaron Jones Sr. and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave that they will be released later this month unless a trade partner emerges, a decision expected to save roughly $18.65 million against the salary cap.
Jefferson remains the centerpiece of Minnesota’s offense and one of the most productive receivers in the NFL. The 26-year-old appeared in all 17 games during the 2025 season and recorded 84 receptions on 141 targets for 1,055 yards and two touchdowns. As productive as that statline looks, it was still considered a “down” year by his standards.
The Vikings selected the former LSU standout with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after setting a single-season receptions record during his college career. He later signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension with Minnesota that included a record $110 million in guaranteed money.
It is also worth noting that Darrisaw is a centerpiece of the Vikings' offensive line at left tackle and signed a four-year, $104 million contract that included up to $67 million in guaranteed money. However, he was injured last year.
