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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 14: Jalen Nailor #1 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after an apparent injury on his touchdown reception during the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings don’t have a ton of room to spend money this offseason, and it may cost them.
Minnesota is going to be releasing Jonathan Hargrave, Aaron Jones, and Jonathan Allen with other moves to be made. These releases will bring them to roughly around -$20 million in 2026 cap space.
More work is to be done, with moves on T.J. Hockenson, Ryan Kelly, and others likely to be made.
Minnesota has the flexibility to get to a good situation with their bank account. However, it still may not be enough to justify keeping a standout receiver.
Vikings Likely To Lose Jalen Nailor
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 08: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates a touchdown with Jalen Nailor #1 against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on September 08, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
An excerpt from Alec Lewis of The Athletic painted the picture of Jalen Nailor’s departure. The former Michigan State Spartan has a lot of interest from all around the league as we approach free agency.
“More than 10 teams are eyeing Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor, according to league sources. Nailor recently turned 27 and will be one of the more coveted free-agent wide receivers next week.
Even though he has caught only 69 NFL passes and never reached 450 yards in a season, multiple evaluators think he has the potential to become a priority signing.”
This news could lead to the Vikings being in the wide receiver market for a WR3. Whether it’s free agency or the draft, the team will need a running mate for Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
“The Vikings don’t want to lose Nailor. The coaches — especially receivers coach Keenan McCardell — have watched him progress into one of their best developmental stories.
He can absorb a complex playbook and is a willing run blocker. He possesses vertical speed, and he displays separation ability, too.”
The seventh round 2022 NFL Draft could very well be on his way out of Minnesota. Lewis puts his potential market value in the $12-$15 million annual range. This is a bit steep for an already expensive Vikings receiver room.
Minnesota, Joe Flacco Brought Together In Speculation
GettyCINCINNATI, OHIO – OCTOBER 26: Joe Flacco #16 of the Cincinnati Bengals passes the ball against the New York Jets during the first quarter in the game at Paycor Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
A new name has been thrown into the Vikings’ QB hat, coming from Zach Rosenblatt of The Athletic.
Rosenblatt downplayed the Murray steam, and predicted the Vikings to go after Joe Flacco (and Anthony Richardson). For now, we’ll cover Flacco.
“Flacco makes some sense as a fallback option. He showed last season in Cincinnati that he’s still capable of leading an offense: He threw for 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in nine games.
He’s a good veteran presence to have in any quarterback room, especially one with two young quarterbacks, and he’s looking for an opportunity to at least compete to start — which he’d get in Minnesota.
Also, according to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, Flacco was “very much in play” for Minnesota last season before it settled on Carson Wentz — who shouldn’t be ruled out entirely as an option either.”
Flacco spent his 2025 season in the state of Ohio. It began in Cleveland before he was traded to Cincinnati to aid in their QB room with the injury of Joe Burrow and poor play of Jake Browning.
Flacco’s coming off a season in which he threw for 2,479 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 13 appearances. He will be an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday, and will definitely have suitors.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
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