Justin Jefferson contract restructure helps Vikings clear 2026 salary cap space
The Minnesota Vikings restructured the contracts of justin jefferson, Christian Darrisaw and Byron Murphy Jr. to create salary-cap flexibility for 2026, then agreed Saturday, March 7, to new terms with tight end T. J. Hockenson that will save more than $5 million against the cap ahead of major offseason deadlines.
Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw and Byron Murphy Jr. reworks target 2026 space
Minnesota’s restructuring plan includes justin jefferson, who was set to cost nearly $39 million against the Vikings’ salary cap in 2026 before the change. Darrisaw and Murphy Jr., who also signed long-term deals in recent years, were included in the same round of moves designed to add cap flexibility.
Those contract adjustments came as Minnesota entered the offseason facing a sizable shortfall. Before releases and the restructures, the Vikings were facing about a $46. 6 million hurdle, a figure cited in the context from Over the Cap.
T. J. Hockenson restructure keeps him in Minnesota through 2026
On Saturday, March 7, the Vikings agreed to a restructured contract with Hockenson that will keep the 28-year-old tight end in Minnesota for 2026 and save more than $5 million against the cap. Hockenson had been set to carry a $21. 3 million cap number in 2026, described in the context as the highest for any tight end in the NFL.
When the Vikings signed Hockenson to a four-year, $66 million deal in 2023, the contract included a void year that provided flexibility for an eventual restructure. The Hockenson agreement was not described as a simple signing bonus conversion like the ones enacted with Justin Jefferson, Darrisaw and Murphy Jr.; the sides agreed to new terms as Minnesota sought to rework Hockenson’s deal for 2026.
Rob Brzezinski oversees cap planning as releases and trades loom
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski was cited in the context for salary-cap expertise as the Vikings work through the crunch. The team needed to clear more than $40 million in cap space before the start of the new league year on Wednesday, March 11, and the context noted Minnesota could have deferred up to $38 million with the conversions tied to the Jefferson, Darrisaw and Murphy Jr. deals.
Additional moves are also in play. The Vikings plan to release defensive tackle Jonathan Allen at the start of the new league year, a move that would clear $6. 53 million in space, and the team seems likely to release running back Aaron Jones Sr. and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave for another $18. 5 million in cap relief. Minnesota is also believed to be entertaining trade offers on edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who is seeking a raise from a deal that will pay him $18. 39 million in 2026.
NFL teams can begin negotiating with unrestricted free agents at 11 a. m. Monday, and the signing period opens at 3 p. m. Wednesday, both in ET. The new league year also begins Wednesday, March 11, as Minnesota’s cap plan continues to take shape.
