Could the Vikings make drastic roster cuts like releasing Aaron Jones Sr. and Jonathan Allen to build a 2026 championship contender?
The Minnesota Vikings were big spenders in the 2025 offseason. They weren't free agent winners, though.
The team whiffed on a number of big-time moves and is paying for it dearly in the way of salary cap space. Now they may have to let players go to make progress on building a championship contending roster after a 9-8 season this year.
Steve Silverman of Clutch Points made three suggestions for moves the Vikings could make. He has the team cutting running back Aaron Jones Sr., defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and center Ryan Kelly. He explained why the team could move on from Jones.
"(Aaron Jones) has been incredibly productive for a 5th-round draft pick out of Texas-El Paso. Jones has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in four of his seasons, including a career-best 1,138 yards during the 2024 season with the Vikings. He has an excellent burst to get through the hole and do damage at the second level. He is also an excellent receiver, catching an average of 47 passes per season.
However, he played in 12 of 17 games last year for Minnesota with 548 rushing yards and just 2 TDs. There were several games in which backup RB Jordan Mason was the more effective running back.
Jones had a cap hit of $14.8 million last season, and he is now a free agent. Running backs who are approaching the 10-year mark are usually not the best investment. The belief is that the Vikings will not bring him back next season."
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer (12) and running back Aaron Jones Sr. (33) celebrate after scoring a touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Matt Krohn-Imagn ImagesSilverman's glowing present-tense description of Jones might be generous given what he fairly identified as one of the Vikings' issues in 2025: Backup running back Jordan Mason was at times, perhaps several times, better than Jones this season. That's not to say Jones does not have great football ahead of him, but it is to say his best days may be behind him.
The Vikings' run game was poor but so too was its offensive line. That may be in part because the team was counting so heavily on Ryan Kelly contributing significantly to the team's success. Silverman noted, Kelly was only able to play eight games in 2025. That's not good enough for a guy you bring in through free agency to shore up any position, but certainly that's true of offensive line.
The Vikings will have an interesting path to navigate over the coming weeks. Making room for new contributors could be the secret to getting back on track in 2026.