{"id":825094,"date":"2026-03-21T13:11:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T13:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/825094\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T13:11:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T13:11:28","slug":"vikings-rumors-intensify-around-on-a-jonathan-greenard-trade-ljarius-sneed-mccarthys-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/825094\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Rumors Intensify around on a Jonathan Greenard Trade, L’Jarius Sneed, McCarthy’s Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"JonathanMinnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) celebrates a defensive stop during the second quarter of a home matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, Dec. 1, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The veteran edge rusher sparked energy on defense as Brian Flores\u2019 unit controlled momentum late in the season. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> is now less than five weeks away, and the Minnesota Vikings are transitioning the remnants of free agency. The club has added a few new players and will onboard about 30 rookies via the draft and undrafted free agency next month. In the meantime, here\u2019s a look at the rumor mill.<\/p>\n

Minnesota has three talking points worth sorting before draft season fully takes over.<\/p>\n

Minnesota has a momentous year afoot, probably needing to win a playoff game<\/a> to secure the head coach\u2019s long-term job security.<\/p>\n

Inside the Latest Purple Rumor Mill for Minnesota<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the Purple Rumor Mill for March 21st, 2026.<\/p>\n

\"JonathanJonathan Greenard and Harrison Phillips celebrate a sack of Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud during a fourth-quarter defensive stand, Sep. 22, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The play highlighted Minnesota\u2019s coordinated pass rush, with Harrison Smith and Kenyon Green nearby as the defense reset after a momentum-shifting stop. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Rumor: The Jonathan Greenard trade sweepstakes may be down to the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. <\/p>\n

The Greenard trade fodder has circulated for a few weeks now. The Athletic\u2018s Alec Lewis opined on the rumors this week,\u00a0claiming on his podcast<\/a>, \u201cI think over the course of the last week or last two weeks, it probably seemed more imminent than it was. I would say that the Minnesota Vikings have been very clear from the outset that they are doing this on their terms. So they are not going to trade a talented player that they\u2019ve really liked having, Jonathan Greenard, unless it makes a lot of sense for them to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say the Philadelphia Eagles definitely still need edge rusher talent. I mean, they have Jalyx Hunt, they signed Arnold Ebiketie, they have\u00a0Nolan Smith Jr.<\/a>, but to have another elite edge rusher, it\u2019s part of the reason they were in on Jaelan Phillips. And then I think the Indianapolis Colts are kind of in a similar vein.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Eagles need EDGE help more than the Colts, so Philadelphia may be the frontrunner if a Greenard trade<\/a> happens at all.<\/p>\n

With the draft only five weeks away, what to do with Greenard is still a big question for Minnesota. It would make sense to trade him during the draft weekend. That way, general managers could quickly weigh their draft picks against the chance to snag Greenard, who\u2019s already proven he can rush the passer and has six years in the NFL under his belt.<\/p>\n

Money-wise, waiting until after June 1 to trade him would give Minnesota an extra $6 million in cap space, which would be helpful going into the summer. Even though many teams will probably have found their EDGE rushers by then, the extra cap room still makes a trade look enticing for Minnesota.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also always the easy choice: just keep Greenard. Teams don\u2019t find productive defenders every day, and Minnesota\u2019s already got one locked down. <\/p>\n

The sticking point is evidently Greenard\u2019s contract. He\u2019s due for a raise at $19 million per year, and his counterpart, Micah Parsons, earns $47 million out in Green Bay. <\/p>\n

Rumor: L\u2019Jarius Sneed is a free agent, and Minnesota should sign him to a prove-it contract. <\/p>\n

Sneed is done in Tennessee.<\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s Turron Davenport\u00a0wrote Friday<\/a>, \u201cThe Tennessee Titans released cornerback L\u2019Jarius Sneed on Friday, a move that saves $11.4 million in cap space. Sneed struggled to stay on the field for Tennessee, appearing in 12 games over two seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had signed a four-year, $76 million contract after the Titans acquired him in a 2024 trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Titans signed defensive backs Alontae Taylor,\u00a0Cor\u2019Dale Flott<\/a>\u00a0and Josh Williams earlier this week to restock their cornerbacks room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"L'JariusTennessee Titans cornerback L\u2019Jarius Sneed (38) runs onto the field during pregame introductions ahead of a matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, Oct. 13, 2024, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The veteran defensive back energized the crowd as the Titans prepared for a divisional contest at home. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

In 2025, the Vikings went into the season thin at cornerback, counting on Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah as their main assets. Murphy Jr. and Rodgers held up, playing in 34 games combined, but Okudah had a rough go of it with two concussions, and his performance waned overall. <\/p>\n

To make up for it, Minnesota brought up Fabian Moreau<\/a> from the practice squad, and he cooked compared to Okudah. <\/p>\n

Projecting 2026, it\u2019s probably too optimistic to expect the same kind of health at the cornerback position. The spot usually needs more depth, so adding a veteran like Sneed or using a draft pick in April would make a lot of sense.<\/p>\n

Sneed is affordable and looking to re-prove that he belongs in the NFL as a starter. <\/p>\n

Rumor: Despite theories suggesting otherwise, the Vikings won\u2019t give up on J.J. McCarthy. <\/p>\n

Every so often, ESPN authors an article about \u201coverreactions\u201d around the NFL, and recently, ESPN\u2019s Dan Graziano examined the topic from a post-free-agency angle.<\/p>\n

On McCarthy,\u00a0Graziano wrote<\/a>, \u201cJ.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. are both done as starting QBs. Verdict: OVERREACTION. The Vikings signed Kyler Murray, and the Falcons signed\u00a0Tua Tagovailoa<\/a>, thrusting those veterans into ostensible competitions with the 10th and eighth overall picks from the 2024 draft, respectively.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMcCarthy is coming off a terrible and injury-plagued first NFL season after missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury. He entered the offseason healthy, but after throwing 12 interceptions and taking 27 sacks in his 10 starts last season, he has given the Vikings reason to doubt whether he\u2019ll turn out to be the quarterback they thought he was when they moved up a spot to draft him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"J.J.Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy flips through the air after a tackle by Detroit linebacker Jack Campbell during first-half action, Nov. 2, 2025, at Ford Field in Detroit. The play captured a violent collision as defenders converged, freezing a chaotic moment before both teams reset in a tightly contested divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

McCarthy has missed 70% of all football games since the Vikings drafted him in 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Graziano continued, \u201cMurray is very likely to end up starting ahead of McCarthy, unless a light comes on this offseason and McCarthy performs well enough in the summer to beat him out. But the Vikings aren\u2019t ready to give up on McCarthy just yet, and they\u2019re hoping Murray\u2019s arrival has a positive impact on him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Atlanta story is different; my sense is the Falcons view Penix as the starter once he\u2019s healthy and Tagovailoa is just there for coverage in case he isn\u2019t ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

While McCarthy probably won\u2019t start in September, the Vikings are in no rush to get rid of him, says Graziano.<\/p>\n

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