There is a lot of extra concern among fans in the state of Minnesota with a quiet offseason, but it’s not a big deal…yet.
Oct 5, 2025; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings owners Mark Wilf (left) and Zygi Wilf during an NFL International Series game against the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
This was one of the slowest offseasons for the Minnesota Vikings in quite some time. Of their limited spending in free agency, only cornerback James Pierre and offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark were above the veteran minimum. Their contracts totaled just $12.75 million in value.
The lack of moves raised a lot of questions about the future of the franchise. It was frustrating to have so few additions to a roster that needed it, but it wasn’t much of a surprise considering how 2025 went. Saturday afternoon brought quite the bombshell from long-time columnist Charley Walters.
Minnesota Vikings owners are not planning on selling the team
Walters released a column on Saturday afternoon talking about Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf potentially selling the franchise.
It’s beginning to look as if Vikings ownership now could be mirroring Twins ownership, which has sought to sell its team.
It appears Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf have decided on a significant payroll slash this year. The Vikings won’t admit it, but this sure looks like a rebuilding year.
This is the 21st year the Wilfs have owned the Vikings. Until this year, they have made a commendable attempt at winning the Lombardi Trophy.
Meanwhile, the Twins’ Pohlad ownership isn’t unlike what Red McCombs did with the Vikings in 2005 before selling to the Wilfs.
McCombs, who bought the Vikings for $246 million in 1998, cut player and coaching staff payroll to a bare minimum and waited until he got his price ($600 million) from the Wilfs.
If the Wilfs, who curiously still haven’t named a permanent general manager since firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah last January, were to sell the Vikings today, they could get between $8 billion and $9 billion.
Charley Walters
The Pioneer Press
He uses a lot of points, signaling that the Vikings are slashing payroll as the basis to sell the team. That’s a relatively normal idea in a vacuum. Red McCombs was bare bones ahead of selling the Vikings to the Wilf’s. Unlike McCombs, the Wilf’s aren’t being cheap with the organization. They are still spending money on the organization, just have to do a salary cap reset. It was immediately debunked by the entirety of the Vikings’ beat.
Totally understandable when Minnesota sports fans worry about teams lowering payroll. But the Vikings’ drop in 2026 is (aggressive) cap management. I’ve been asking and reporting on it all spring. Add this: they’re not for sale. There has never been a shred of fact to suggest it.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) May 4, 2026
It may feel weird why the Vikings are taking a step backward with their spending, but that’s the reality of the salary cap era. The counter argument is they could have done more within the salary cap constraints to keep edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and sign other players, including extending right tackle Brian O’Neill. Those issues were tough for the fanbase to deal with, especially with how many players they ended up losing at key positions.
Make no mistake about it, the Vikings aren’t going to be selling the team. Their process this year, however, does raise other questions.
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