The salary cap is the boogeyman of the NFL. Teams make it real when they decide to, but they can also make it a flexible, imaginary line to follow if they choose to. Some teams do a good job of staying ahead of the cap while others are forced to play catch-up. In 2026, the Vikings are now one of those teams that find themselves behind the proverbial 8-ball and needing to make salary cap space.

NFL Media's Matt Okada wrote up recently cut candidates for a majority of teams in the NFL as several of them need to clear space. For the Vikings, he suggested defensive lineman Javon Hargrave.

He writes, "The Vikings signed Hargrave to a two-year, $30 million contract less than a year ago, but it might already be time to move on from the 33-year-old defensive tackle. Hargrave logged just 3.5 sacks in 2025 -- less than half his average yearly production in 2021-23 before a triceps injury derailed his 2024 season in San Francisco. He was fine from a PFF grading perspective (69.1 overall), but it’s fair to believe Minnesota expected more when it took the financial risk on Hargrave post-injury. Now, the Vikings can release him for $11 million in cap savings, and even with $10.5 million in dead money, that’s probably worth it given the Vikings' cap situation and their need to improve around young quarterback J.J. McCarthy (or sign some competition for him)."

The team can afford to move on from Hargrave with the emergence of Jalen Redmond last season. Redmond is what they had hoped Hargrave would be, with a fun blend of pass rush and run defense. Perhaps a restructure could be in play, but the Vikings cannot afford his salary for what they get out of it in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings DL suggested as cut candidate this offseason