The Minnesota Vikings have several positions that need attention after last season when the team went 9-8 and was third in the NFC North.

The team has informed running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave that they will be released barring a trade, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said they are expected to release defensive tackle Jonathan Allen due to salary cap constraints. The reported transactions are in addition to over a dozen free agents who played for Minnesota last season.

Quarterback is a position that many Vikings fans have been talking about this offseason. Some question whether J.J. McCarthy will again lead the team’s offense. He missed 24 of 34 possible career games — the majority of which have been due to injury.

“We’re still looking at a quarterback who’s started 10 games. Ten out of, what, a possible 34 in two years? Not the ideal path for a young quarterback to develop on the field,” Coach Kevin O’Connell said at a news conference in January. “But I thought he did. I thought he did some really good things.”  

The organization will be making moves without a general manager for at least the next six weeks after it fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January. Owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement that the Vikings will conduct “a thorough search” for their next general manager after the draft. Executive Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski will lead the team until then, according to the Vikings.

WCCO is tracking every move Minnesota makes in free agency, including cuts, signings, retirements and potentially trades.

Ryan Kelly, center

Four-time Pro Bowl selection Ryan Kelly is retiring after 10 seasons in the league, the Vikings said. The center signed with Minnesota last year after playing nine seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He dealt with three concussions last season and only started eight games for the Vikings.

James Pierre, cornerback

NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe said Monday that the Vikings agreed to terms with cornerback James Pierre, a move that will add depth to the team’s secondary. The former Pittsburgh Steelers player will get a two-year, $8.5 million deal with $3.7 million guaranteed, Wolfe, who cited Pierre’s agent Toney Scott, said.

Eric Wilson, linebacker

Eric Wilson is staying in Minnesota after the team announced Monday that they’ve reached a three-year, eight-figure deal with the 31-year-old linebacker. The NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo says the contract is worth $22.5 million — with $12.5 million “fully guaranteed.”

Wilson is in his second stint with Minnesota. He was first signed as an undrafted rookie in 2017 and spent four seasons with the Vikings.

Full list of Vikings free agents

• RB Ty Chandler
• LS Andrew DePaola
• CB Fabian Moreau
• WR Jalen Nailor (agreed to terms on three-year, $35 million deal with Las Vegas Raiders, per Schefter)
• T Matt Nelson
• CB Jeff Okudah
• OLB Bo Richter
• QB Brett Rypien
• RB Zavier Scott
• T Justin Skule
• TE Ben Sims
• S Harrison Smith
• DB Tavierre Thomas
• QB Carson Wentz
• P Ryan Wright (signing a four-year, $14 million deal with New Orleans Saints, per Schefter)

Minnesota also tendered the contracts of linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. and defensive lineman Jalen Redmond.

The Minnesota Vikings have been, and remain, the clear favorite to sign Kyler Murray in free agency once the Arizona Cardinals officially release him on Wednesday, March 11, but that outcome is not a foregone conclusion.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported on Sunday, less than 24 hours before the legal period of player negotiations begin, that Murray and Minnesota have “mutual interest.” The rest of Pelissero’s report, however, is cause for at least mild concern that the Vikings could miss out on the two-time Pro Bowler ahead of his age-29 campaign.

“I fully anticipate this is going to be a robust market for Kyler Murray,” Pelissero said. “I would anticipate there will be mutual interest between Kyler Murray and the Vikings. Fair to say even at this point that the Vikings probably should be considered the favorite.”

“But, if you’re Kyler and his agent, it makes a lot of sense to take advantage of this,” Pelissero continued. “He’s never been a free agent before. He has not interfaced with a lot of team executives since he came out in the draft back in 2019. And for Kyler, who is going to be a free agent again in 2027 after taking a one-year minimum deal this year, makes sense … to take his time and explore his options — hear everybody out before deciding where to take a next, important step in his career.”

Vikings Players Prefer Kyler Murray Over JJ McCarthy, per Report

GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.

Minnesota isn’t just the favorite to sign Murray in free agency, Murray is the favorite of several members of the Vikings’ locker room who prefer him as the starter in 2026 over JJ McCarthy entering his third NFL season.

Dianna Russinni of The Athletic reported as much over the weekend during an appearance on the Ryen Russillo Show.

“[Murray is] not the type of quarterback for Kevin O’Connell,” Russinni said. “But I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I think that’s an organization where I can tell you from talking to some players there, they want Kyler there.”

Vikings Will Have Other, Lesser Options at QB if Kyler Murray Lands Elsewhere

GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Minnesota will have options if Murray doesn’t pan out, though none are likely to be as promising as the two-time Pro Bowler who is going to play somewhere next season on a veteran’s league minimum totaling just $1.3 million.

If Murray, for whatever reason, lands elsewhere, the Vikings can turn to Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts. That franchise granted Richardson permission to seek a trade during the NFL Combine late last month.

Should that not work out, a short-term deal with the likes of Kirk Cousins or Geno Smith — both veterans in their late 30s — would offer Minnesota real competition for McCarthy in training camp and a viable alternative in-season if McCarthy wins the job but then struggles or suffers an injury.

The only other team in the QB market that might be able to offer Murray a situation good enough that it actually compares to what the Vikings can give him is the Pittsburgh Steelers, though Aaron Rodgers is rumored to potentially return there for his age-42 season in 2026.

Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible